I'll Be Watching You
by King in Yellow
Summary: Drakken's plan to stay out of jail didn't work as he hoped. They couldn't put Shego behind bars, but the green woman wishes they could have - it would be easier than being psychologically bound to Kim Possible. Not BE Universe
1. Every Move You Make

Boilerplate Disclaimer: Disney owns the various characters from the Kim Possible series. Cheap shots at celebrities constitute fair usage.

**Every Move You Make**

The sound of sirens penetrated the thick walls of the lair, announcing that the police were close. Kim and Shego paused in their fight and broke apart, each breathing heavily from exertion. "What now," Shego called to her employer.

"Give it up, Drakken," Kim shouted, "Ron's turned off your force field and the police are here."

Drakken smiled and pulled an odd weapon from a table, "Ah well, this time I have a fall back plan."

He aimed the device at Kim, who quickly moved so that Shego stood between her and Drakken. _"No way will he shoot Shego,"_ Kim thought.

Shego took Kim's move as hostile and their battle resumed. As they grappled the light of Drakken's ray hit them. Kim flinched slightly at the light, which gave Shego the opening for a kick the redhead only partially blocked. When Kim went down the green woman jumped on top of her, pinning her to the floor.

"We need to move," Kim panted as the ray continued to shine on them. Kim felt no effects and hoped the ray was a failure, but didn't want to take chances.

Shego grinned wolfishly, "You think he'd do anything that would hurt me?" she taunted.

That was exactly what Kim thought, but before she could say a word Ron and Rufus burst into the lab. The blond youth saw Drakken with his weapon shining on Kim, picked up the nearest thing he could find - a heavy wrench, and tossed it. "Catch!"

Drakken saw the movement from the corner of his eye and instinctively brought his hand up to protect himself. The wrench smashed the weapon - breaking one of Drakken's fingers, and then hand, ray gun, and wrench thudded against Drakken's chest, knocking him off his feet.

Ron's arrival also distracted Shego and when the police arrived Ron had Drakken tied up while Kim worked on Shego.

"You'll never hold me," Shego promised.

"We'll see," the officer in charge replied as he fitted her with specially made handcuffs.

Shego jerked her head towards Kim, "She'll be coming to get me out," the green woman sneered.

Ron looked at Kim, "What?"

"I don't know what she's talking about," Kim assured him. "Maybe Drakken used an insanity ray and it only affected Shego."

"Ms. Possible?" the officer requested, "could you ride with us back to the police station? We'd like a statement and, well, just in case she tries anything we'd like you there to watch her."

"Certainly," Kim agreed, and tossed the key for the Sloth to Ron. "Follow us back to town. And please don't change any setting or break anything this time."

"Sure thing KP."

On the ride to the Middleton Police Station Kim tried to figure out what Drakken might have hit her with, or if it even had affected her. Shego relaxed in the back seat as best she could with her hands cuffed behind her, but the smug grin in on her lips proclaimed she expected something to happen.

Kim breathed a little sigh of relief as the police finished booking the pair and moved them back towards their cells. The relief was almost immediately replaced by a sense of worry. Had the ray done anything? When might she see a result? Should she ask Wade to run a scan on her? Where was Ron, shouldn't he have been here? Had he done something to her car? She was getting out her cell phone to call him when Ron strolled in with a sheepish look on his face. "Are you okay?" she demanded.

"Just stopped for a little snack," he laughed nervously.

"My car is okay?"

"Well, heh, heh, I kind of had a little accident with the bladder-buster cup of soda--"

"Ron, you didn't!"

"It will clean out… And that was an old sound system. I'll bet Wade or your brothers can build a better one."

At least this explained her worries. She took the key from Ron and headed for the parking lot. Kim felt worse every step of the way. What had he done to her car? There was a test tomorrow she wasn't ready for. She'd flunk and wouldn't get into a good college. She'd end up a homeless derelict. Kim tried to shake the fears out of her head. She was simply tired. She needed to get home, take a shower and study a little before going to bed.

Kim climbed behind the wheel and nearly ordered Ron out of the car. He was going to attack her. She took a deep breath and reminded herself he had been her best friend forever. They were dating. She was safe with Ron. Kim turned the key and put the Sloth into reverse. She couldn't back up, a car would come careening through the parking lot and smash into her car - killing her and Ron. She fought the fear; it was the police parking lot. No criminal would be so brazenly stupid. She began to ease back from the parking spot, then realized a police car might speed down the lot in response to an emergency call. She would be just as dead whether the driver who hit her was a crook or the police.

"Are you okay," Ron asked, the concern obvious in his voice. "I'm sorry about the soda, I'll pay for it."

Kim gritted her teeth, "I'm fine," she lied.

"I'm asking 'cause you look kind of pale and you're sweating like a pig."

"I'm fine," she screamed at him.

"Okay," he apologized, "sorry I asked."

She drove to the end of the parking lot at three miles an hour. She couldn't turn out into the street, there were cars whizzing by and she would be killed immediately if she tried to drive there.

"Ron," she gasped, "I'm not okay. Something's wrong. You need to drive."

"Should I take you to the hospital?" Ron asked as he left the car and moved around to the driver's side.

Kim slid over to the passenger seat as Ron got in, "Hospital… Good… Yeah." _ "Hospital, no!"_ Kim shrieked inside. The hospital had knives. They'd cut her open to see what was wrong and forget how to put her together. They'd give her drugs that drove her insane. They would confuse her case history with someone else and her head would be amputated.

Kim felt a jolt of fear as Ron recklessly pulled out into the street, couldn't he see there was a car almost two blocks away coming towards them? Zombies who lived in the hospital basement would eat her brain if he took her there. Terrorists would bomb the building. A meteor would hit. The engine in the rebuilt car was about to explode. Kim closed her eyes and tried to fight the fear, her whole body trembling.

Ron saw the body language and hit the accelerator. He needed to get Kim to the hospital fast.

Kim screamed. Instinctively knew what she needed, and it wasn't the hospital. "Stop! Stop the car!"

"No way, KP, you got to see the doctor."

"STOP!"

Ron increased the speed.

Kim reached over and grabbed the keys, turning off the engine. Ron tried to take her hand off them, but she hit him. When the car came to a stop she put it into park, pulled out the keys and threw them - then she got out of the car and started running back towards the police station.

Kim heard crashes and the noise of violence as she ran towards the police station. She didn't care. Every step she took made the irrational fears lessen slightly. It felt good to be headed towards the sounds of destruction and chaos. She still felt afraid, but the fear was gradually subsiding. She wasn't sure why she felt better, she only knew she did. As she got closer she discovered the reason for the sounds of destruction - a hole had been blasted in one wall of the station and through it Kim could see another wall inside the building with a hole in it. A familiar green-and-black clad figure ran towards her. A half dozen police officers were in pursuit, but falling behind. Shego saw Kim, but didn't change her direction to avoid the younger woman, instead she kept her original direction - moving in a straight line directly at the redhead.

The two women skidded to a halt a few feet from each other, they were both panting from exertion and recent fear. Kim assumed a battle stance, "What happened?" she demanded.

Shego hunched over, her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath. The destruction of the cell and five inner walls of the police station before she could get outside had taken a lot out of her. "I'm gonna kill Drakken;" she panted, "it was only supposed to affect you."


	2. Every Bond You Break

Boilerplate Disclaimer: The various characters from the Kim Possible series are owned by Disney. Any and all registered trade names property of their respective owners. Cheap shots at celebrities constitute fair usage.

**Every Bond You Break**

The police circled the pair, guns pointed at Shego and feeling foolish because the thief was unarmed and any shot risked injuring Kim. On the other hand, they had just seen Shego do serious damage to a building in her frantic rush to get out and they felt the need of extra caution.

"What was only supposed to affect me?" Kim demanded. "Some kind of fear ray?"

"Not exactly," Shego agreed, "but close enough. Fear, paranoia, anxiety, whatever else you got - it's there."

"Why?"

"Notice that when we're close together - no problem?"

Kim rolled her eyes, "Well, Duh."

"Yeah, well Drakken figured you'd either bust me out to keep from losing your mind - and then I'd bust him out - or they'd have to let me walk because they can't risk the mental health of Middleton's resident hero - and I'd bust him out."

"Back up, losing my mind?"

Shego shuddered, "Don't know what was going on in your head just now, but I know what was going on in mine." Kim grimaced at the memory.

One of the police officers spoke up, "Uh, what's going on?"

"Kim and I are going back into the jail and talking with Doctor D. And if I don't like his answers I'm going to rip him in half." The angry woman spun around and marched towards the police station, the officers parted like the Red Sea when Moses led the Israelites through.

Kim, unsure what had happened and hoping for better control now that she understood Drakken's plan, stood still. Shego got about six meters, around twenty feet, and Kim began to feel slightly anxious. As the older woman got further away Kim's fears grew worse. Shego got about sixty feet away before she stopped and came back, "Move it, Princess, unless you enjoy being stuck with me better than I like being stuck with you."

"No."

"You like this?"

"No, but I don't want you hurting him."

"Trust me, Princess, I won't need to hurt him. One good threat and he'll cave in."

Kim hesitated, "Let me think about this."

"Now," Shego insisted and headed back towards the jail.

The police had gathered a clue from the women's conversation and wanted to see how it would play out. Kim had no intention of moving, but the fear grew as Shego moved away. It appeared to be a test of wills, and at the moment Shego's desire to question Drakken was much stronger than Kim's desire to resist. _"And I do want to know what happened,"_ Kim told herself as she followed the green woman.

Ron pulled into the parking lot before Kim reached the jail. Kim stopped abruptly, forcing Shego to pause, "Okay, Pumpkin, what's the problem now?"

"Let me talk to Ron." The green woman's face looked exasperated as Kim called, "Call my mom, ask her to come down to the jail."

"Your Mom?" an officer asked

"She's a doctor."

Then Shego plunged ahead and Kim followed with the police escort.

"Where's Drakken's cell?" Shego growled at one of the policemen.

"I don't think I should--"

She grabbed him by the front of his uniform, "I said, where's Drakken?"

The green woman was not so angry that she lost track of everything else. From the corner of her eye she noticed the police circling her, with pepper spray canisters pointed in her direction.

"Unless you enjoy a face full of pepper spray you should let him go," Kim suggested. "The police are your friends."

"They're not my friends."

"Well, they're mine." Kim turned to the officers, "I'd like to find out what Drakken did to me."

"We'd like to help you, Kim, but," the officer jerked his head in Shego's direction, "someone seems a little dangerous."

"Dangerous? You want dangerous?" Shego snarled.

"Keep the pepper spray out," Kim suggested. "I don't think she wants to hurt him. We just want him to stop this… Whatever it is."

The police led the women to the holding cells. A handful of prisoners in the various cells moved to the bars to see the source of the commotion. Drakken responded by trying to hide under his bunk. He had heard the earlier chaos and guessed its source, which meant that…

"Drakken, come out from there," Shego roared. "Stand up, you yellow dog."

"Oh, Shego, I was, um, looking for a quarter that fell out of my pocket."

"We empty--" a policeman began.

"I know that!" Shego snapped at the officer, then turned back to Drakken. "You knew that ray would effect me too! Why didn't you tell me the truth!"

"I, ah, did tell you the truth. I told you there was a slight chance that the ray would affect you also, you do remember that."

"Yeah, you said slight chance. So you're telling me this is like a one in a million fluke?"

Drakken appeared a little frightened as he said, "Actually the chances were about one in five."

"There was a twenty percent chance it would affect me and you didn't tell me?"

"Nineteen percent, actually, and... It, uh, was an eighty-one percent chance it would affect you, with a nineteen percent chance it wouldn't. I was, uh, hoping that it would be the nineteen percent that happened."

Green plasma began to crackle around Shego, "I'm going to kill you," she threatened. Drakken backed as far away as he could, knowing it wasn't far enough. "You've really done it this time, I'm going to make you wish--"

Kim didn't hear any more. She knew she had to stop Shego, so she took off running - away from the green woman. The anxieties began, then the fear, but Kim ran. Behind her Shego suffered a panic attack and turned around, frantically looking for Kim. She saw the redhead's back disappear down a long hallway and took off in pursuit.

The redhead skidded to a stop in front on an emergency door that warned, "Alarm will sound if door opened." Kim didn't plan to use the door, but appreciated having it at her back. A couple seconds later Shego arrived.

"Don't do that," Shego warned.

"Save Drakken's life?"

"No, don't leave me." Shego's jaw dropped open in amazement, unable to believe her own words. Kim burst into laughter at Shego's expression, and a second later Shego joined her. They regained their composure as the police arrived.

"What's going on?" Officer Hobble asked.

"Can you prepare adjoining cells for Shego and me," Kim requested. "Drakken hit us with something that requires we stay close. The good news is, as long you're holding me she can't escape."

Forty minutes later an angry auburn-haired woman arrived at police headquarters. "Where is my daughter?" she demanded.

"Your daughter?"

"My name is Dr. Anne Possible. I received a call from my daughter's best friend saying--"

"Dr. Possible? Kim's mother?"

"Yes, where is my daughter?"

"She's in a cell."

"In a cell? Why is she in jail? I demand you bring her out, immediately."

"She requested we put her in a cell, and we can't bring her out."

"You can't bring her out?"

"No Ma'am."

"We'll see about that. I called Judge Richardson. He's on his way here."

"We can't bring Kim out, but would you like to go back and see her?"

"You still haven't told me why you can't bring her out. What has Kim been charged with?"

"She hasn't been charged with anything, Ma'am. Now, if you want to--"

The arrival of the judge, looking very non-judicial in blue jeans and a sweatshirt, ended the conversation.

"What's going on, Anne?"

"I don't know Tom, the police won't tell me anything."

"I'm trying, Sir," the officer told the judge. "But she won't listen."

"Well, what has she been charged with?" the judge asked the desk sergeant.

"Nothing," Anne snapped, "and they won't bring her out to talk with me."

The judge turned a baleful eye on the policeman, "I'm trying to explain, Sir. You and Dr. Possible are welcome to come back and see Kim. But she can't come out."

"And why is that?"

The desk sergeant sighed, "It will make better sense if you talk with her yourselves."

A female officer took the pair back to the women's cells. She pointed to a cell with an open door and Anne looked in. The brand-new sheets on the bunk were non-regulation. While Kim lounged on the bunk the jail matron adjusted a small television set to find a good angle for Kim to use while watching.

"Kim!"

"Mom!"

"Keep it down," Shego growled from the next cell: one without the special linens, television, or the bag of Milano cookies an officer had sent back.

"Why are you here?"

Kim finished her tale with, "…and that's why I need to stay here. Shego and I can't get separated from each other without major panic attacks."

"I don't want you in jail," Anne told her daughter. She turned to the judge, "What are the options?"

"Kim's right, she can stay here. Or… I don't like making the suggestion, Shego is dangerous, but releasing her on bail seems the only way to get Kim out of jail. And that would require you keeping Shego in your home so that she and Kim could remain close."

Anne though for a minute, "I'd rather have Kim home. Shego has stayed with us before."

"Well, Middleton certainly owes her for saving the Fourth of July parade last year," the judge began.

"It was no big," Kim claimed. "Anyone could have figured out that the Marching Minutemen needed to march in front of the Shady Vale Equestrian Club instead of behind them."

A medium-sized argument erupted at the Possible home. It was late when the women arrived home and Kim wanted to go to bed immediately. The guest room was far enough away from Kim's room to cause both women enough minor anxiety to interfere with sleep. James Possible couldn't locate the folding cot in the basement. Anne offered Shego a sleeping bag in Kim's room, and the green woman countered that the Geneva Convention required they provide her with a place to sleep at least equal to the bunk in her cell - a standard the sleeping bag failed to meet.

Anne pointed out that the Geneva Convention did not apply to being out on bail.

"I want the bed," Shego declared firmly. "Or you can take me back to jail."

"It's my bed!" Kim protested.

"Want to share?"

Kim slept in the sleeping bag on the floor. Shego had been correct - it wasn't as comfortable as the bunk in the cell.


	3. Every Step You Take

Boilerplate Disclaimer: Disney owns the characters from the Kim Possible series. Any and all registered trade names property of their respective owners. Cheap shots at celebrities constitute fair usage.

**Every Step You Take**

Shego groaned when the alarm went off in the morning. She opened her eyes; it was still dark. She fumbled around in the strange room, looking for the clock, but Kim found it first.

"I'm going back to sleep--" the green woman began; then screamed in pain as Kim flipped the light switch and the light blinded her.

"I'm going to shower, dress, eat breakfast, finish the English essay that's due second period - someone kept me at the jail yesterday - and leave for school at seven thirty."

"No, you're not. 'Cause I'm staying in bed," Shego told her defiantly and rolled over and closed her eyes.

It turned into another battle of wills, and this morning Kim's desire to go to school appeared stronger than Shego's determination to sleep late.

The bathroom was not far enough from the bed to keep Shego awake with anxiety. The light, noise of the shower, Kim singing in the shower, and the clatter of dishes in the kitchen downstairs however conspired to accomplish the feat. Shego dragged herself out from under the covers and staggered over to lean against the wall outside the bathroom.

"You can't go to school today, Princess."

"Can't hear you, I'm in the shower."

"You can't go to school today," Shego called a little louder.

"Still can't hear you."

"I SAID, YOU CAN'T GO TO SCHOOL!"

"WHY NOT?"

"I'M A CRIMINAL, THEY WON'T LET ME IN THE SCHOOL!"

Anne Possible's voice came up the stairs, "Shego, you're going to school with Kim, court order. And stop shouting."

"THEY CAN'T COURT ORDER ME TO GO SCHOOL!"

"No, but the judge gave the school an order allowing you to be there so Kim could attend classes. And stop shouting."

Shego fell into a sullen silence. A minute later Kim emerged from the bathroom, wrapped in a towel. "Your turn."

"A hundred bucks if you skip school."

"Your turn in the shower. I don't want detention for being late."

"A hundred and fifty."

"Shower, now, or you miss breakfast."

"Work with me here, Princess."

"Okay, you can eat breakfast now and shower after breakfast."

"That's not working with me."

"That's as much as I'll work with you."

"Two hundred bucks, last offer."

"Great."

"You'll take it?"

"No. If that was your last offer you'll leave me alone. Now, breakfast or shower first?"

Shego could not believe Kim would actually go to school as she followed the redhead out to the garage. "I am not going with you."

"Fine," Kim told her as she closed the car door and started the engine. She wondered if the fear ray had worn off.

It hadn't. Kim gritted her teeth and slowed the car to snail's pace. She could do this; she knew she could. She looked in the rear-view mirror and saw Shego jogging towards her. Kim pulled over to the curb and waited.

"I am not going to school," Shego panted when she came up beside the car.

"Fine," Kim replied, and started to drive off.

"Damn you, stop!" the green woman shouted.

"I'm going to school," Kim told her. "You can ride with me or run all the way there - your choice."

"You wouldn't."

Kim started to drive again.

"Let me in the damn car," Shego called.

The older woman sat in the back seat. Kim drove towards Ron's house. "Three hundred dollars if you skip school." Kim ignored her.

"Four hundred," Shego offered as they pulled out of the Stoppable driveway.

"Four hundred what?" Ron asked.

"I'm not talking to you."

"Someone doesn't want to go to school today," Kim explained.

"Heck, I never want to go to school. I go anyway," Ron commented

Kim sighed, "I think there are days the teachers might pay you not to come."

Despite being close to Kim, Shego began to sweat as they neared Middleton High. "Five hundred! Please, skip school."

"No!" Kim snapped, "What's your problem?"

"That's my problem," Shego said - pointing to Steve Barkin standing where he could scan the cars going into the parking lot. She tried to duck down in the rear seat, but knew it was pointless.

The green woman tried one last time as Kim parked the car, and tried to free her hand from the shift lever Ron had left sticky with spilled soda, "That was five hundred every day you skip school. We might be stuck with each other for days - you could make some serious money."

"Move it," Kim barked, "I don't want to be late for homeroom."

Kim was indeed late for homeroom, delayed by Mr. Barkin. "Ms. Go," he growled sarcastically as Kim dashed for front door of Middleton high, "so nice to see you again." Shego increased her speed to keep up with Kim. "Stop right there Ms. Possible."

Kim skidded to a halt. Shego collided with her. And Ron ran past them, making it into the school with seconds to spare before the bell.

Barkin strolled to the tangled pile of Kim and Shego as the two women sorted themselves out. "Ah, Ms. Go," he growled, "so wonderful to see you again. I've been wanting to talk with you about--"

"Uh, if it was about that date, I--"

"That will never be mentioned again, period. Is that clear," he barked.

"I just thought--"

"You will kindly stop making assumptions and listen." He smiled. It was not a pleasant smile. It was a 'you've been caught doing something you shouldn't and are in a world of trouble smile'. "The transcripts arrived for your credentials."

Kim seemed puzzled, "Why did you stop me to--"

"I was not talking to you," Barkin snapped. He turned back to Shego, "You 'earned' your 'degree in childhood education' from an on-line school - priced at seventeen dollars and thirty-seven cents. Discounts available if ordering advanced degrees within thirty days."

"I never claimed it was a--" Shego began.

"I don't like being played for a fool!"

_"If the shoe fits,"_ the pale woman thought.

Kim's thoughts were not charitable either, _"But you've had so much experience at it."_

He paused momentarily, then continued. "A felon getting a job at a school through fraud. That is a crime. I--"

"Not a felon unless I'm convicted."

"A technicality. You still used fraudulent credentials. That's a crime. I assumed I'd never see you again. Imagine my surprise when I had a call from Judge Richardson this morning saying you would be attending classes. I won't press charges, but--"

"You won't press charges because the assistant principal screwed up - I batted my big green eyes at the jerk and he hired me without checking my papers properly. That'd look great in the papers."

"I said we wouldn't mention that again! I can't sentence you to detention, but from what the judge tells me, you can't be separated from Ms. Possible." He turned to Kim, "I'll be watching you. Any infraction - and you'll be doing hard time. Speaking of which, the bell rang and you're outside the school."

"She arrived at school on time. She only stayed outside because the assistant principal told her to stay. How do you think that would look to the school policy board if that same assistant principal gave her detention for doing what he asked?"

"Just giving an example," Barkin told them. He turned back to Kim, "I'm watching you. Any problems, any at all, and you're in the cooler."

"Don't I get any thanks for watching your back?" Shego demanded as Kim sorted books at her locker.

"No," Kim shot back, slamming the locker a little harder than necessary. "The only reason he's breathing down my neck is because you're glued to me. Being stuck with you is punishment I don't deserve."

"Hey, you think I enjoy being stuck with an I'm-better-than-you high school cheerleader'?"

Kim almost thanked Shego for recognizing that she was better than the green woman, but decided the hallway was an inappropriate place for a fight and headed for her first period class. She paused before opening the door to the English classroom, "You know how to behave don't you?"

"Of course I know how to behave. That doesn't mean I will."

"Okay, let's try that a different way. Would you rather be able to move around with me and see the sunshine, or be stuck in the Middleton jail?"

"Hey, if I'm in the Middleton jail - so are you."

"Which is more fun for you, being out of jail or having me in the adjoining cell?"

"Um, give me a little while to think about that."

"Well, while you're thinking about it, read a magazine or something so you don't disrupt my classes."

Shego managed to sleep through math, earning Ron's envy. Most of Kim's teachers seemed a little nervous about having Shego in the class - and two offered to let Kim skip classes until after a way had been found to separate the pair. Every time Kim turned around it appeared that Barkin was looking over her shoulder. Ron avoided her. By the end of the school day Kim was stressed out and wanted nothing so much as she wanted to be free of Shego.

As the final bell stopped ringing Kim pulled out her Kimmunicator, "Wade, I've had a lousy day. You won't believe how bad it is--"

"Hey," Shego growled in the background.

"Please, please, please tell me you have some good news for me. Tell me you've figured out a way to get us apart."

Shego added an, "I'll second that," to Kim's request.

Wade hesitated, "I've, uh, got some good news and bad news."

"Bad news first," Kim sighed. "I really, really want some good news at the end of the conversation."

"Uh, well the bad news is that I can't figure out what Drakken did… And if I can't figure out what he did I can't figure out how to fix it."

"Damn," Shego muttered in the background.

"The good news, what's the good news?" Kim demanded.

"Well, uh, when Ron wanted to stop Drakken from hitting you with and he threw the wrench?"

"Yeah?"

"He did a great job of breaking it… Police let me look at the pieces in the Evidence Room, but it's smashed so badly I can't figure out how it worked."

Ron came over for a little while after dinner, but Shego watching them made them uncomfortable. Ron tried to get Rufus to distract Shego, but the mole-rat had only limited success. Shego found providing sarcastic background commentary for Kim and Ron sitting together more entertaining.

That evening James Possible found the old cot from the days of family camping and set it up in Kim's room. It had been stored in the garage rather than the basement where he had been looking.

Anne Possible broke up the fight. "What happened?"

"She had the bed last night and I slept on the floor. She gets the cot tonight," Kim protested.

"That sounds fair," Anne agreed.

"But the cot is too small!" Shego protested.

"Is it as large as the bunk in the jail cell?" Shego reluctantly nodded. "Your protest last night was for an equivalent size cot." Kim looked smug. "And tomorrow you can have the bed again," Anne told Shego.

"But Mom!"

"She is still a guest in this house, whether welcome or not. The two of you will alternate who gets bed and who gets cot as long as this lasts. Is that clear?"

The two women nodded.

"Now, which one of you threw the first punch in this fight?"

The two were silent.

"Well?"

"The kick came first," Shego told her.

"You kicked her?"

Kim admitted, "No, I kicked her."

"New house rule. Whoever makes the first kick, hit, slap, or throws something will spend half an hour cleaning your bathroom. Kim, start cleaning."

"That's not fair. You just made up the rule! That's double-jeopardy or something."

"Actually, Princess, it's an _ex post facto_ law. It'll never hold up in court."

"Fortunately for me, I'm the Chief Justice in the house. Kim, I've been telling you to clean your bathroom for weeks. You start now."


	4. Every Word You Say

Boilerplate Disclaimer: The various characters from the Kim Possible series are all owned by Disney. Any and all registered trade names property of their respective owners. Cheap shots at celebrities constitute fair usage.

**Every Word You Say**

Barkin remained on Kim's back the next day at school. She continued to see less of Ron during the day.

"Guilt by association," he explained before giving her a fast kiss on the cheek and disappearing again after third period. "Barkin doesn't like me already. If he sees me hanging around with you he'll hate me even more."

"Like a rat deserting a sinking ship," Shego commented as he vanished around a corner.

"As contrasted with the rat who's glued to me?"

Barkin broke up the fight and sentenced Kim to detention.

"You're cleaning bathroom when we get home," Kim hissed.

"No way! Fights at school don't count… They shouldn't count."

"Tell it to the Chief Justice."

Ron joined Kim and Shego at lunch.

"So glad you could join us," Kim said coolly.

"Sorry, self-preservation. Barkin really hates me. Hey, I'm eating with you now, aren't I?"

"I'm sorry too," Kim sighed. "It's just kind of stressful to be stuck with… you know."

"I can hear, you know," Shego snapped at Kim. The green woman turned to Ron, "You want stressful? Try being glued to Pollyanna Perfect here. God, jail is sounding better although the time - but I'd still be stuck with her."

Monique arrived with news of an upcoming sale at Club Banana, and Felix rolled over to eat lunch with them and tell Ron he had been chosen as a beta-tester for Monster Blaster III. Shego poked at the various items on her plate and reflected that jail food was probably better.

Bonnie paused as she carried her tray towards a table with the more popular crowd to sneer, "Ron, where's your wetback friend? Your table is short a loser. You have the black, cripple, village idiot, lying crook, and Kim. You need… What's her name… Rose-e-e-ta."

"She's Puerto Rican, Bonnie," Ron reminded her. "She's an American."

Felix chose to ignore the cripple comment. He knew she just wanted a reaction and refused to play her game.

Monique rose to the bait, "It's pronounced African-American."

"African-American, Black, Colored, Negro, all the other names… The name doesn't change who you are. It's all just a test to see who can be the most PC."

Monique started to rise and Kim put a hand on her friend's arm to remind her to remain seated.

"Doesn't it bother any of you that you are sitting at the same table with a lying criminal?" Bonnie demanded. "Oh, wait… You're eating at the same table as Kim - you obviously don't care who you associate with."

Kim glanced at Shego, who showed no reaction. Then the green woman spoke to Kim, "Remember the discussion in biology class yesterday?"

"Which discussion?"

"Lowest form of life."

"Yeah, didn't the teacher suggest slime molds?"

"That was his opinion. I've thought of something lower."

Monique laughed, "I got to agree with you."

Shego looked puzzled, "You can read minds? How would you know what I'm talking about?"

"You're talking about me!" Bonnie snarled.

Shego appeared to look startled, as if seeing Bonnie for the first time, "You have an awfully high opinion of yourself. What makes you think I'm talking about you?"

Bonnie didn't have a good come back, so she muttered, "Bitch!" turned, tripped and fell onto her tray full of food. Her scream, "YOU TRIPPED ME!" brought Mr. Barkin running to the table. Those at the table mostly looked puzzled, they knew none of them had been seated in a position where it would have been possible to trip Bonnie.

"Who tripped you?" Barkin demanded.

"I don't know," Bonnie sputtered, "one of them."

"All right, which one of you did it," the assistant principal demanded.

Everyone at the table remained silent.

"Confess or I'll throw you all in detention," he threatened.

"Look, Stevie," Shego pointed out. "We were all sitting at the table - just like this. Physically impossible for any of us to have tripped her. Miss Clumsy fell over her own fat feet."

"That's a lie!" Bonnie insisted, rising from the floor - only to promptly fall over again. "WHO TIED MY SHOELACES TOGETHER!"

"You were standing right there," Kim pointed out. "Did you see one of us lean over to tie your shoe laces together?"

"Somebody had to!" Bonnie shot back.

Barkin's eyes narrowed, "Someone is in deep trouble," he promised.

"I have a candidate," Shego offered, and pulled a small tape recorder from a book bag. "You remember the Middleton High rulebook on abusive language?"

"I should, I wrote it."

Bonnie turned pale as Shego rewound the tape slightly and hit 'play'.

At the end of the tape Barkin turned to the young woman with the mystery meat and mashed potatoes on her sweater, "Two weeks detention," he growled.

"But I'm a cheerleader," she wailed as he stalked off.

"Great," Kim complained after Bonnie left for the bathroom to clean up, "I've got two nights detention for fighting Shego - and now I have to put up with her."

"But keep your nose clean and stay out of my way," the older woman told Kim, "and she gets a week and half by herself." Shego then turned to Ron, "Oh, Stoppable, I owe your mole-rat a grande-sized burrito."

"Why?"

"Who do you think I had tie Bonnie's shoelaces together?"

Ron looked puzzled, "How did you… When did you--"

"Last night when you were over. I tried to bribe him to tying your laces together. He wouldn't do it. But I signaled him just now, indicated the deal was on if he messed up what's-her-name's shoes."

Kim wondered if she owed Rufus a burrito also, but decided encouraging the behavior was wrong - no matter how much she wanted to. Instead she asked, "Isn't that my tape recorder?"

"Well, duh. What did I get out of jail with - besides the clothes on my back?"

"You took it without asking!"

Shego raised an eyebrow, "I'm a thief, remember?"

Kim's voice rose, "That's--"

Monique laid a hand on Kim's arm, "Chill, Girl. She did us a favor. Cut her some slack."

Felix asked a question for Shego, "Why did you bring the recorder?"

"Originally I wanted a record of Barkin. But then I decided to go for proof of Kim abusing me." The green woman sighed, "You wouldn't believe the things I have to endure being stuck with her." Everyone at the table but Kim chuckled slightly, accepting that the ice had been broken with Shego. Even Kim managed a slight smile, the resentment of having Shego borrow her tape recorder off-set by seeing Bonnie brought down.

Ron was waiting by Kim's car when the two women finished their detention session. The trio stopped by the jail before heading home to see if Drakken had figured out a way to reverse the ray's effects.

"How could you not plan a way to reverse the effects?" Shego screamed at the man cowering behind the bars of the cell.

"Well, if it could be undone, then their genius could figure out a--"

"There isn't a way to undo this? I'm stuck with this self-righteous do-gooder for--"

"Hey!" Kim protested.

"Shut up, Princess." The green woman turned back to Drakken. "Find a way," she warned in a threatening voice, "I am not gonna stay connected to this nuisance."

As soon as Kim and Shego arrived home Kim put in a call to Wade, who offered as much help as Drakken.

After dinner Kim and Ron studied for a history test while Shego watched television… Or, to be more accurate, Shego watched television while Kim studied and Ron drank soda, ate chips, and peered over Kim's shoulder at the notes she made.

The redhead came to a paragraph which didn't seem clear, "Shego," she called, "what do you know about the Battle of Britain?"

"The who of what?"

"Battle of Britain, you know, in World War II."

"How old do you think I am? That was before I was born."

"I know that. From school. What do you remember about it from history class? I'm not sure about something in my textbook."

"I didn't take history."

"How can you get out of high school without history?"

"Easy, drop out."

"You dropped out?" Ron asked in disbelief.

"Pretty good, Kim, your dummy talked and I didn't see your lips move."

"I'm not her dummy!" Ron protested.

"Sorry, whose dummy are you?"

Kim brought it back to school, "You didn't graduate? You seem smarter than that."

"Hey," Shego bristled, "a fuckin' piece of paper doesn't mean you're smart. You can be a functioning moron and graduate. Hell, you may not even be functioning and still graduate. I decided to be a criminal. There was no ad saying, 'high school diploma required'. High school is for dummies."

"No it's not," Kim shot back in anger.

Shego looked at Ron, "You in high school?"

He nodded.

Shego turned back to Kim, "I think that proves my point pretty well."

The sound of the fight drew Anne Possible to the family room. "What's going on," she asked Ron as Kim and Shego struggled to gain the upper position as they wrestled on the floor.

"Shego was saying you can be smart without graduating high school… I think Kim is trying to say you need a good education to get ahead, but I'm not sure what that has to do with the headlock."

"Kim! Shego! Stop, now!"

"Mom!"

"Dr. Possible!"

"She started it!"

"No, she did!"

"She said--"

"Don't listen to her, I was watching TV and--"

"Quiet, both of you," Anne ordered firmly. The two antagonists shut their mouths. "Shego, Ron reports you claimed a person can be smart even without a high school diploma. Is that what this is about?"

"That's what she said, Mom. I was studying and--"

"I asked Shego."

"That's what I said. And Princess here seemed to take exception to that."

"Kim, Shego is correct. There are many very intelligent people who never graduated from high school."

"See," Shego smirked, "I'm right."

"Shego," Anne continued. "Let's imagine you need brain surgery. Who do you want opening up your head, a trained neurosurgeon or a high school drop-out?"

The green woman didn't answer.

"Well?" Anne demanded.

"You," Shego admitted.

"Thank you. How did this even come up? Kim you're supposed to be studying. Shego?"

Kim answered, "I was studying, but I asked her a question. She never graduated high school!"

Anne raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Really?"

"Hey, I'm plenty smart," Shego bristled.

"You seem reasonably intelligent," Anne agreed. "I'm not sure what your lifestyle choices say about that, however."

"I'm smart," Shego repeated, "you leave that lifestyle stuff out of this."

"So, if you took the GED exam you could demonstrate a high school level of competency?"

Shego hesitated, "Uh, sure… If I took it. I--"

"It will be administered a week from this Saturday. I'll register you."

"Wait!" Shego protested, "I--"

"Cool," Ron commented, "So, like, if I took the test I wouldn't have to go to high school?"

"How do you know that, Mom?"

"Ron, your parents will tell you that is not an option. Kim, you can't even be a janitor at Middleton hospital without a diploma or equivalency. I've been helping some potential employees with practice exams for the science section."

"I, uh, should do good at science," Shego said nervously. "Sections? What other sections?"

"In addition to science it will test you in English, writing, math, and social sciences. Would you like for me to bring a study guide home for you to look at?"

"Sure… I mean, I know that stuff already, but it wouldn't hurt to give it a fast look over."

"By the way," Anne asked. "First punch?"

Shego pointed at Kim. Kim shrugged, acknowledging she'd thrown the first punch.

"Shego, have you done your half hour of hard time yet for the fight at school?" Anne demanded.

"No. I--"

"Then you have no business watching television. Go clean for a half hour while Kim studies. She'll do her time when you're finished."


	5. Every Game You Play

Boilerplate Disclaimer: The various characters from the Kim Possible series are all owned by Disney. All registered trade names property of their respective owners. Cheap shots at celebrities constitute fair usage.

**Every Game You Play**

When Anne Possible discovered that the testing center would not allow Kim to sit in the room with Shego during the administration of the GED exam she signed her daughter up to take the test also while registering Shego.

The discovery that Shego carried a tape recorder forced Barkin to back off at least slightly. Bonnie glared from the distance, but avoided Kim's friends as much as possible since one of them appeared to be a magician. Other than a second night of detention the rest of the week went as well as Kim could have imagined given the circumstances. The fact that Shego spent five half-hour sessions cleaning in their now sparkling bathroom while Kim was only sentenced to three for throwing the first punches gave Kim a sense of being 'ahead' of Shego - a feeling which the redhead relished.

The addition of Shego to her life, however, complicated Friday night. She and Ron planned to catch a movie, then a little snack, and a little cuddling to end the date. "Please," Kim pleaded, "don't mess up my date with Ron."

Shego responded with a look of wide-eyed innocence. "Me, mess up your date? You think I'd do a thing like that?"

"I know you'd do a thing like that," Kim snapped in exasperation.

"Good heavens, Pumpkin, try to break up young lovers? I wouldn't dream of it… Besides, just being out with Captain Klutz should kill any hope of romance."

"Don't say that about Ron. He's very sweet."

Shego shrugged, "Maybe. Everyone has some redeeming feature. His certainly isn't his brains…" Shego gave an evil grin, "So, Princess, exactly where were you tasting him to find out he's sweet?"

Kim ignored Shego's other efforts to goad her as she prepared for her date. Eventually the redhead checked her watch and announced, "Got to go," and headed to the car after kissing her mom and dad on the cheek.

"You're picking him up?" Shego commented as they went out to the Sloth.

"Yeah. I have a car. He doesn't. You got a problem with that?"

"Course not. It fits the image in my head - you wear the pants in the relationship… So, will he be in a little black dress when you pick him up?"

Kim almost wished she had put on a skirt instead of slacks. "Shego, please, don't mess up my date. Ron and I haven't been going together very long."

"Obviously."

"Huh?"

"The two of you have no future. Everyone can see it. I'll bet your friends laugh at you two dating behind your backs."

There was confusion at the movie theater when Shego refused to buy a ticket and Kim had to pay for her.

"Sit in the back," the cheerleader instructed the green woman. Kim and Ron sat about half-way down the theater in the middle of the row. As the lights went down in the theater Ron's arm went around Kim. She smiled and leaned against him. He turned and leaned toward her, his mouth near her ear. Kim shivered in anticipation of some sweet nothing or confession of how wonderful it was to be out with her.

And Ron whispered, "Taco Shack after the movie instead of Bueno Nacho? I got a two-for-one coupon."

Kim panicked. She stood and scanned the back of the theater, Shego was gone.

"What?" Ron demanded as Kim excused herself and stepped around another couple in the row before heading out to find Shego.

The green woman stood in line at the furthest concession stand in the multiplex.

"Why did you leave?" Kim demanded.

Shego pointed at the sign indicating the combinations of popcorn and soda choices available. "If I have to sit through that dog I need something to eat… Did you or Stoppable pick the movie?"

"Ron did."

"Oh, then maybe you do have taste… Or maybe not. You're dating him."

After Shego made her purchases the two women returned to the theater. Kim returned to her place by Ron, and Ron's arm returned to its place on Kim's shoulder.

"Who are the people on the screen?" Kim whispered.

"Space marines," Ron answered as the people behind them hissed for quiet. "You shouldn't have skipped the first ten minutes."

Forty-five minutes into the feature Kim had almost figured out who the characters were, but decided she didn't care. It didn't matter, she wasn't there for the film, she was there to be with Ron. Kim smiled, laid her head on his shoulder. Ron's arm tightened very slightly around her.

And Kim panicked.

She found Shego in the ladies room.

"Too much soda," Shego explained from the stall. "Hey I can live with my fear long enough to go to the bathroom. Why are you looking for me?"

"You're ruining my date with how you're acting," Kim responded. "I need you closer to me."

A woman exiting another stall in the restroom gave Kim an odd look, and Kim blushed.

Shego left the theater again just before the end of the movie. Kim figured it was a return trip to the restroom and decided to remain seated. She would not give Shego the satisfaction of forcing her out again. Kim gritted her teeth and endured. She paid no attention to the movie and moved two seats away from Ron, suddenly convinced he would pull a weapon and attack her.

Problems continued at the Taco Shack. Outside the Stoppable home Ron would normally have said good-night to Kim in the car. Despite knowing she would be ridiculed by Shego for her actions, Kim escorted Ron to the door of his house for a kiss. Ron chatted about the taste difference between Taco Shack burritos compared with those of Bueno Nacho as they walked to the front porch.

"Ron, you're not supposed to be talking about burritos," she reminded him.

"I'm not? It's what we had, remember?"

"We're on a date. You and me. Remember?"

"Date… Oh, yeah." Ron smiled and put his arms around her.

And Kim panicked. She had left the keys in the car and Shego was slowly driving off. Kim gave chase, and Shego picked up speed just slightly, trying to match Kim's running pace as nearly as possible to avoid the fear getting worse or Kim catching up. Kim wished that Ron lived closer before she got home.

They both ended up doing time in the bathroom when they got home. The bathroom was now clean enough Anne Possible could have performed brain surgery in the room, and the thought of attempting it on one or both of the two young women almost sounded tempting.

Kim didn't speak to Shego on Saturday morning or early afternoon. In the early afternoon Shego addressed Kim, "Here are our plans for tonight. You're going to cooperate with me--"

"Like heck I will," Kim shot back.

"You're saying that for last night?" Kim nodded angrily. "Last night was nothing," Shego assured her. "You ever want a real date again you're going to listen to me and do what I tell you."

Kim wanted to punch Shego, but she also wanted to know how to get the green woman off her back so she could enjoy a date with Ron. "No promises."

"You'll do what I tell you," Shego repeated firmly. "We're telling your parents we're turning in early tonight. Around ten we're going out your window and going to find a good singles bar where there are some nice looking men and women--"

"Wait, men _and_ women?"

"I'm bi. Do I need to tell you what that means?"

"I know what it means," Kim snapped. "I just… It's creepy. You could be interested in me."

"Trust me, Princess. There's no way in hell I could be interested in you. Anyway, we find a bar and--"

"I'm underage!"

"No you're not. I need you to be twenty-one. You don't have to drink. Put your hair up in a stocking cap and wear one of your dad's old coats or something. I'll order soda for you. You're my kid sister and designated driver. I got busted for DWI and had my license yanked. If I get lucky you can drive me and whoever I pick up to the nearest motel. I'll--"

"I'm not going to watch!"

"Trust me, Kim. I don't want you to. If I get lucky you can hang out in the hall at the motel. Hell, I'll rent the adjoining room for you if I get lucky. I haven't had any in a long time… I get real irritable when I haven't had any in a long time."

Several sarcastic comments went through Kim's head, the one which slipped out of her mouth was, "How can you tell the difference?"

Shego spent the next half hour cleaning the bathroom.

Kim faced a huge ethical dilemma. Shego wanted the cheerleader to lie to her parents, sneak into a bar, and drive the green woman and some stranger to a motel for sex. It was completely and utterly wrong. The night before Shego had demonstrated that she could, and was more than willing to, destroy any chance Kim had for a normal date.

At the end of dinner Kim yawned, "I'm really tired. I'll probably go to bed a little early tonight."

Shego feigned a look of concern, "I'm sorry about last night. I promise to behave during your next date with Ron."

Kim hated lying to her parents. She hated sneaking out of the house. She hated the smoky bar and she hated the fake cover story Shego repeated as she worked the crowd. Kim took a little satisfaction in the fact Shego struck out at the bar, while two guys came over and tried to hit on the green woman's 'little sister.' Kim wouldn't have dated either of them for a million dollars, and suspected Shego wasn't desperate enough to say yes to either, but it was still flattering to get offers when Shego didn't.

Kim was tired and angry with herself for going along with the green woman's plans, but still felt like she had accomplished her end of the bargain, "So, I can see Ron next Friday without any trouble?" Kim asked cheerfully as she drove them home.

"In your dreams, Cupcake," Shego snarled.

"Hey, I went along with you like you asked! Is it my fault no one wanted a green freak?" Kim knew she should have watched her language.

"If Shego ain't happy, ain't nobody happy," the older woman shot back.

Kim and Ron watched a movie in the Possible family room the next Friday evening while Shego sat in a lounge chair making them uncomfortable by staring at them. The GED exam took most of Saturday. Before the test Shego demanded they look for another bar in the evening after the test. Kim hesitated about whether she would agree to the older woman's plans. She felt guilty about the week before, but she also wanted a date with Ron without Shego jerking her around. The issue became moot when a day of stress from testing left them both tired. They really did turn in early that night.

To his great relief Drakken left Middleton jail for a federal penitentiary while awaiting trial. Although he promised to work on a method to separate Shego from Kim it was obvious he felt safer at a distance. Wade studied the phenomenon. He hadn't figured out a cure, but said the tests he ran were necessary for helping him try and understand it.

Late in the week Kim found two envelopes from the GED testing services in the mail box when they arrived home from school. Shego grabbed hers out of Kim's hands and ripped it open. "Failed! How in the hell can they fail me?"

Kim carefully opened her own envelope. "Ha! I passed," she crowed. "I'm smarter than you."

"Why is the front door broken?" Anne Possible demanded when she got home.

Shego held an ice pack over one eye, "Ask your daughter."

"She swung a me first," Kim insisted. Kim had an ace bandage wrapped around her left wrist.

"Why did she suggest I ask you?" Anne continued.

Kim remained silent.

"Kimberly Anne Possible! Answer me!"

"I, uh, may have said something I shouldn't have. But she swung first."

"Shego?"

"Yeah, I hit her first."

"Kim, for provoking the fight you can have the first half-hour of cleaning bathroom."

"But she swung first! You've never made us clean for saying things before."

"The fact you never told me what you said means you know it was wrong. March upstairs, young lady and start cleaning. I'm going to grill your sparring partner and find out what this was all about."

Shego and Anne sat at the breakfast nook in the kitchen. The two GED letters lay on the table in front of the brain surgeon. "Your math score is outstanding," Anne pointed out. "And you passed science easily. Most people consider those the two hardest subjects. I may have to speak with Kim, I am a little disappointed in her math score."

"But she passed everything," the pale woman grumbled.

"You did better than she did in both math and science. You are certainly smart enough to earn a high school diploma if you want… Would you consider enrolling in Middleton High?"

"What?"

"Enrolling in Middleton High. Take classes. Earn a diploma."

"Me? In high school? No fucking way, if you'll pardon my French."

"Why not? Don't you think you're smart enough?"

Shego's eyes narrowed as she stared at the older woman for a minute. "You know I'm damn near as competitive as your daughter. You're daring me to go back."

Anne considered lying, but after a minute admitted, "Guilty as charged."

"Why?"

Anne thought a little longer. "Several reasons. One is that I think you are an intelligent young woman and I would like you to have more options for your life—"

"After I get out of prison."

"Options are still good. And I believe you are intelligent enough you can certainly do it if you try."

"They'd never accept me as a student."

"They would, I checked."

"Damn, you're sneaky. I can respect that. Hey, how did you know I'd fail? Was this a fake and you paid them to flunk me? How could you have asked the school before you even knew the results?"

"I didn't know you'd fail. I prepared in case you failed, I had other plans if you passed."

"Hmm... You plan ahead. Wish I'd been working for you instead of the blue idiot. Need a thief, slash, bodyguard when you try and take over the world?"

"I don't think I need a slash anything, I'm not planning on the world - but I'll keep your résumé on file. Now about you going back to school--"

"No way!"

"Why not? Are you afraid of being teased by the other students?"

Shego's eyes narrowed again, "You're trying to play me again."

"Sorry. You're right; I shouldn't do that."

"What in the hell is this about, really?"

Dr. Possible nervously drummed her fingers on the table. "I'll be honest with you. First, I would like to see you finish. I believe it would be good for you. But I'll admit I have other, more selfish, motives. I love my daughter, and want what's best for her. Her education is important to me. This… situation is hard on all of us. It would be easier for her if you were taking classes too. Her constant fighting with you is a major distraction. If you enroll in school you'll be busy enough with homework that Kim can spend more time in study… "

"You really care if I graduate or not?" the green woman asked, the skepticism clear in her voice.

"Yes, I do. You are an intelligent young woman and fully capable of finishing if you try."

Shego thought for a minute. "If I enrolled - and I'm not saying I will - you really think I could do it?"

"Easily. I thought you'd pass." She pointed to the GED results. "You flew through the math. You have the intelligence - the only question is ambition."

"Ambition nothing. I'm facing prison when this thing wears off and the diploma doesn't mean anything… If I enrolled, and I'm still not saying I will, I want you to know it's because your daughter and her friends are boring as hell. I'm just doing it to have something to kill time."

"I understand."

"And you were right a minute ago. I'd have to put up with teasing and a ton of shit from the other students."

"I know… But please consider enrolling. I'm trying to be fair while you're staying here."

Shego thought for a minute, "You thought I'd pass?" Anne nodded. "I'm not saying I will. But if I enroll I want butter pecan ice cream. A half-gallon for myself every week."

"What else?"

"That's enough for now. If the kids give me too much shit I reserve the right to drop out at any time. But as long as I'm in classes a half gallon of ice cream a week all to myself."

Anne Possible smiled and put her hand out to shake on the deal.

Shego held her hand up in a 'Stop' gesture. "I didn't say I would… That was 'If I enroll'. Give me a night to think about it.


	6. Every Night You Stay

The various characters from the Kim Possible series are owned by Disney.

**Every Night You Stay**

Ron looked at Shego in the back seat of the car. "Whoa, really weird - you in school with us."

"You got a problem with that, Stoppable?"

"No, no problem," he answered quickly. "Think it's great."

Kim spoke up, "I think it is wonderful." Kim did not think it was wonderful, and hated lying and saying it was. Her mother's options, however, had been cheerfully telling the world how important a good education was and how nice it was Shego was finishing her diploma, or scrubbing the mold out of the grout in her brothers' bathroom with a toothbrush.

Barkin immediately disappeared from Kim's life. "He's scared of me," Shego boasted.

"Why?" Ron asked.

"Any problem with me, the papers have a story about assistant principal dating a high school student - it'd kill him."

"But you weren't a high school student at the time, and you're old enough to be out of high school," Kim pointed out.

"Doesn't matter. How many people read past the headline? I could draw a mustache on him with a permanent magic marker - he wouldn't give me detention."

"Really?" Ron asked

"Don't try it," Kim begged.

"You don't think I'd do it, Princess?"

"I know darn well you'd be willing to. Please, just let it drop."

Ron silently wished he could have been the one stuck to Shego if she had the same effect on Barkin as garlic on a vampire.

The first couple weeks weren't easy, but Shego survived and the teasing stopped, although the assignments did not become any easier.

Shego sat on the bleachers in the gym, working on English homework while Kim practiced with the cheerleaders. Shego figured her English teacher hated her. The green woman could think of no other reason for the teacher to waste so much red ink on her assignments. The noise level on the gym floor suggested some sort of dissension in the ranks of the cheerleaders, which meant it was exactly like every other cheerleading workout Shego had been forced to endure since becoming attached to Kim. Because the arguments were so frequent Shego tuned them out as effortlessly as she tuned out Drakken and it took her a minute to realize she was being called.

"Come down here," Kim shouted.

"Why?"

"I need you to prove something."

"Whatever it is you said, you're wrong. If you say it can be done - it can't. If you say it can't be done - it can."

Shego's words seemed to make Bonnie happy, "See, Possible, I'm right."

"Hold on," the green woman called, "I'm not going to agree with Bonnie."

"Well, you have to agree with one of us," Kim called as Shego got up from the bleachers and moved down to the floor.

Kim explained what she wanted, the cheerleader on top of the pyramid would be doing a handstand on the upraised hands of the next two girls down on the pyramid.

"No way," Bonnie exclaimed.

Shego closed one eye and gazed off in the distance. Disagreeing with Bonnie might even be better than disagreeing with Kim. "Could be done."

"In theory, maybe," Bonnie agreed reluctantly. "But get real. It takes three girls with a lot of upper body strength and great balance. It can't be done by this group. Kim and I are the only two who might have the strength for it - and I think even you can count to three."

Bonnie picked her insult poorly. The brunette was struggling to maintain a low C in the algebra course she should have taken her sophomore year while Shego breezed through her AP calculus assignments.

Shego glanced at the other girls. "She right? None of you want to try it?"

None of the other cheerleaders looked at Shego. Some stared at the floor and a couple looked nervously at other members of the group. No one spoke a word.

"Hell," Shego remarked in a disappointed tone and looked at Bonnie. "Looks like you're right."

Bonnie assumed such a smug look that Kim insisted, "Shego, you could do it."

"I could do what?"

"Either, the handstand on top or one of the two girls below her."

"No way in hell."

"See," Bonnie sneered, "I'm right."

"I'm not a cheerleader," Shego pointed out.

"I just want you to demonstrate it can be done, you know, to shut up Bonnie--"

"Hey!" the brunette objected.

"It can be done," Kim insisted. "Okay, maybe this group can't perform it, or maybe when we see how it's done Bonnie and I will be the two down - we have the strength - and Hope or Crystal could be on top."

The two women Kim named glanced at each other with a look of "No way."

"Bonnie or Shego, you want the top?" Kim asked.

"No way, Princess," Shego declined. "Unlike some people I don't get off by showing my panties to the crowd. Put Bonnie on top. I don't think she has the strength to hold up someone else."

"No way," Bonnie sputtered. "And let you two clowns drop me?"

Now it was Kim's turn to feel nervous. Bonnie hated her, but wouldn't deliberately sabotage the cheerleading squad. However, Kim had no sense of what Shego might do.

Fortunately Shego had no interest in staying with Kim in the hospital and she possessed a desire to prove Bonnie wrong.

Linda stayed out of the formation to watch, "Ohmygawd," she gasped at Kim's handstand, "freakin' awesome!"

Kim dismounted with a two-and-a-half forward roll and stuck the landing. Shego executed a flawless double back flip, and Bonnie, not to be outdone, copied Shego's feat. Tara rubbed the shoulder Bonnie had stood on. "That was incredible! Crystal? Hope?"

Having seen it done convinced the two girls more than ever they wanted no part of the move.

Shego had to go into the girl's locker room at the end of practice to keep from getting too distant from Kim. There was still enough room for Shego to be feeling slightly apprehensive about their distance apart as she sat on a locker room bench and waited while Kim took a shower. The feeling of paranoia intensified as she found herself suddenly surrounded by all of the cheerleaders except Kim and Bonnie.

"Hey there," Marcella said with a predatory smile as she sat down on Shego's right.

"Uh, hi," the green woman responded.

"You were impressive out there," Liz commented, sitting at Shego's left.

"Real impressive," Tara, standing behind Shego echoed.

"Ever thought of being a cheerleader?" Linda, in front of Shego, asked.

"You could do it," Jessica seconded.

Shego couldn't believe they were there. "No way in hell," she laughed.

"Why not?" Hope demanded. "You proved you could do it."

"No interest in being a cheerleader? You're kidding?" Crystal couldn't believe anyone wouldn't jump at the chance. It had been her dream for years and making the squad the biggest thrill of her life.

"I said out there, I don't go around showing my panties to the crowds," Shego reminded them.

Hope, standing in front of Shego, pulled up her skirt and Shego almost drooled. "Look at how much the panties cover," the brown woman pointed out. "I'll bet you to out on the beach wearing less than this all the time, don't you?"

Shego barely managed to nod.

Marcella put a warm hand down on Shego's leg, Marcella, definitely one of the hottest cheerleaders in a squad of very hot cheerleaders. "You've got good legs."

_"Damn, there's got to be at least one lesbian in this crowd… Maybe several… In the showers…"_ Shego nearly passed out at the images running through her mind. _Shego washing Tara's back… Marcella washing Shego's front… Long warm showers… Sleepovers! There might be sleepovers!_ But then reality reared its ugly head. "No way will Kim let me on the squad."

"Bonnie either," Tara agreed. "But there are only two of them. The rest of us want you on the squad."

"You can make some kind of green fire?" Jessica asked.

Green plasma glowed around Shego.

"Routines in the dark," Linda suggested, "wicked."

"I'm not wearing a cheerleader outfit to school," Shego insisted.

"C'mon," Tara begged, "it lets kids know there'll be a game that day."

"No way."

"She doesn't have to wear it to school," Marcella offered in compromise. "She can change into it right before the game."

_"I am way too desperate,"_ Shego thought as she surrendered and gave the girls her measurements for a uniform. She sighed, _"At least it will piss off both Kim and Bonnie."_

Kim's dating life didn't improve because Shego's did not improve. The redhead felt guilty about their one nocturnal excursion and refused to go again. Kim encouraged Shego to sign up with some dating services. Although the green woman's photo looked smoking hot her bio, accused felon out on bail while awaiting trial and unable to leave the near vicinity of a high school crime fighter, limited those who responded to the categories of crazy or desperate - along with a street corner evangelist Shego identified as both.

Kim realized Shego had stopped trying to sabotage her dates, but it couldn't be avoided. If Shego stayed too far from the couple Kim felt too nervous to enjoy the date. If she remained close enough for Kim to not suffer anxiety attacks it kept the couple from having any privacy. Shego suspected that Kim's father secretly appreciated his daughter's unwilling chaperon. Meanwhile the green woman suspected two girls on the cheerleading squad might have been interested. However, even if Shego were right, neither one appeared willing to come out of the closet with Kim there to watch.

Wade had stopped telling Kim about requests for help immediately after Kim and Shego had been psychologically joined. Since it didn't appear the problem would be ending any time soon he began telling her of small local missions. Shego found it amusing to watch Kim rescue cats from trees and stood at the foot of the ladder shouting sarcastic comments up as the redhead struggled with hissing and spitting balls of fur and claws. In an encounter with a skunk Shego stayed so far back that fear might have made the mission more difficult. Kim wasn't sure if she could entirely blame Shego or not. All she knew was that, despite what they tell you, tomato juice does not remove the smell. On other missions Shego said nothing, and quietly stayed just close enough to Kim to keep them both from experiencing the terror. Twice Shego had even participated in rescue efforts and had been the first to find a four-year old who had run away from a birthday party after being frightened by a clown.

The series of successes prompted Kim to ask Wade for something bigger.

The young black man hesitated, "I may have something, not sure."

"What?"

"Rumor that Dementor wants to steal the molecular cohesion disruption coil that California Applied Technologies announced. Some henchman was bragging about it at some rathskeller. He could have been drunk or just bragging. CAT has some good security."

"When's the heist supposed to take place - if it's for real?"

"Day after tomorrow… Want a ride for three?"

"Please and thank you."

The rumor proved accurate. Shego could not figure Ron out. Some days he was total buffoon and loser. Other days he demonstrated tremendous skills. The trap he and the naked mole-rat prepared caught Dementor's henchmen flat-footed and Ron tied their hands as Kim confronted Dementor. Shego suspected the rat had more to do with the success than Ron.

The German seemed more curious about the presence of the green woman. "Is Drakken here?"

"No idea where Drakken is. I'm not here to steal, just an innocent bystander today."

"She's not so innocent," Kim commented. "This isn't your style," she called to Dementor, "you usually buy technology rather than stealing it."

"What can I say?" he shrugged. "They wouldn't sell. Blame them for forcing me to steal it."

"You won't be stealing anything today."

"Perhaps not, Fräulein, but there will be another day. Auf Wiedersehen."

Dementor hit the starter button for his rocket pack, but Kim was faster. Her grappling gun caught the pack and she jerked it off him. The thrusters kicked in before she could release her hooks from the devise and it flew around the room at the end of her line. Shego and Dementor ducked for cover as the rocket pack flew three times in a large circle, turning Kim as she fought to bring it under control. Unable to release the hooks from the device and in danger of being jerked off her feet Kim was forced to hit the line release, freeing the rocket pack to smash into a wall of the lab. The German scrambled to his feet, but Kim moved between him and the door.

"Give it up," Kim urged. "You can't outfight me."

Dementor hesitated, uncertain what to do.

"Want me to take her down," Shego offered.

Kim couldn't believe her ears, "What?"

Dementor looked interested.

"Fifteen thousand," Shego called. "I'll send my account information."

Dementor's eyes narrowed, "Euros or dollars?"

"Shego!" Kim protested, now trying to watch both of them.

"Euros. I know the exchange rate… It's still chump change for you."

"What is this 'chump change'," Dementor demanded.

"You can afford it - but you can't afford trying to stiff me. Is this a deal?"

Kim was moving closer. It would cost him more than fifteen thousand if he had to hire a lawyer to get him out on bail. "Deal," he called.

Shego tackled Kim, and Dementor ran. Shego hoped he didn't run into Ron - it would make it much harder for her to get her money.

The two women fought longer than necessary. Shego wanted to insure Dementor had enough time to get away and Kim wanted to punch Shego in the nose for betraying her. In a fit of inspiration Ron managed to end their fight by hitting them both with the contents of a fire extinguisher.

Anne sentenced them both to bathroom duty when they arrived back in Middleton. Kim scrubbed again when Shego offered her a percentage. And days later Kim did another tour of duty in the bathroom when Shego went on a shopping spree with the money Dementor deposited into her account.

You should always be careful about thinking that things can't get worse, for the fates delight in proving people wrong.

Ron called Kim, who went into the bathroom, closed the door and sat on the edge of the tub to talk. Shego and Kim tried to respect each other's privacy as much as they could under the circumstances, perhaps from the selfish desire to receive the same treatment they showed to the other, but talking with Ron was special. Even with Shego acting half-way decent Kim still wanted privacy when she talked with Ron.

"So, Ron, call about this weekend?" the redhead asked optimistically.

"Uh, yeah…"

"You don't need to sound so enthusiastic… Did you see who's playing at the Addams' Center on the U campus?"

"Yeah… Uh…"

"Uh what?"

"Our dates have been so bad that I was wondering. I, uh, don't know if you heard that Tara broke up with Josh. I, uh, heard he dumped her or something… She's really feeling bad and I was wondering if I should invite her… I'm not interested in her or anything, but she is a friend."

"You want to ask Tara to the concert?" Kim asked in disbelief.

"Only if you don't mind. I mean, if you mind I won't. I haven't asked her or anything. I just thought, you know, be nice to try and cheer her up. Say the word and I won't ask her. She might not even accept. I just wanted to make the effort."

_"You've never asked me to a concert."_ "That's fine, Ron," Kim managed to spit out as she gritted her teeth. "Very sweet of you to ask Tara. She really has been down at practice."

"So, it's okay if I ask her to the concert?"

"It's fine, Ron. I said it was fine."

Ron should have been more sensitive to Kim's tone of voice. Her words might have said, "It's fine," but her tone of voice screamed, "How could you even think of a stupid idea like that?"


	7. Every Vow You Break

Boilerplate Disclaimer: The various characters from the Kim Possible series are all owned by Disney. Any and all registered trade names property of their respective owners.

**Every Vow You Break**

Kim Possible led a charmed life. She always managed to be at the right place at the right time, in her opinion. Shego's opinion was that Kim managed the wrong place at the wrong time. Not that Shego could blame Kim for the two of them stopping at the convenience store after school, it was the green woman with the craving for teriyaki beef jerky.

They heard a loud, "Give me your money! Now!" from the front of the store and Kim went to investigate. Shego pocketed a bag of Jamaican jerk beef, _"Where in the hell is the teriyaki?"_ and followed. Before the two women could see register they heard a door slam.

Kim took in the situation at the front with a glance. The clerk had backed into the office behind the check-out and slammed the door. The thief had vaulted the counter and struggled to open the cash register.

"You're busted," Kim told the thug.

He glanced fast at the two women, he was bigger than they were, and went back to hitting the register in random places in an infinite number of monkeys manner.

"You so dumb you've never heard of Kim Possible?" Shego demanded. "She'll kick your fat ass from here to Tuesday."

That caught the thief's attention and he looked wildly around for a way out.

"A hundred bucks and I keep her occupied while you escape," Shego offered.

"A hundred bucks?" Kim protested. "A lousy hundred dollars?"

"Look at that dumb fuck, Pumpkin. You think he's got fifteen grand? He's trying to hold up a Kwiky Mart for God's sake! He deserves a discount."

"Sure… Sure I'll give yah the money," the frightened man promised.

Kim couldn't watch the crook and Shego at the same time, and Shego threw her arms around Kim, holding the struggling teen's arms at her sides.

"Run," Shego barked.

Instead the big man drew a knife.

What happened after that almost went by too quickly for Kim to follow. The green woman threw the redhead to the side for safety and went after the man with the knife. She kicked him hard, so hard he went flying back into the candy display - shattering the shelves. The police would need to take him to the hospital before they could take him to jail - and the emergency room doctors would be extracting fragments of Necco™ Wafers from his backside for two hours.

With the thief unconscious Kim called to the clerk that it was safe for her to come out. The woman had called the police on her cell phone and Kim had some questions for Shego as they waited for the police to arrive. The most important question was, "Why did you save me?"

Shego looked puzzled, "You're kidding, right?"

"Seriously, why'd you save me?"

"Get real. If I wanted you hurt I've got a million chances a day! Look, I don't know what happens if you get killed. Maybe I'm free of whatever this is. Maybe I lose my mind. Maybe I spend the rest of my life out by your grave in the cemetery. I may not like you, Princess, but I want you healthy."

Kim thought for a minute, "Fair enough. Hope you stay healthy too." Then the redhead turned to the clerk, "Oh, if the register works my friend needs to pay for the jerky she found in aisle three. She put it in her pocket to have her hands free when we came to help and I want to make sure she doesn't forget to pay for it."

Kim mentioned the Kwiky Mart incident to Wade. With the Dementor mission it suggested that certain missions might not be practical for Kim until a method to separate the women was discovered. Wade passed the concern on to the agencies which sometimes requested Kim's help. Two of them offered to examine the pair and see if their scientists could find a method to dissolve the psychological bond between them. The two cheerfully submitted to the examination, although nothing was discovered Wade hadn't already known. A third group attempted a different method.

"I don't like Global Justice," Shego complained as she and Kim were escorted down a corridor by four uniformed and armed agents.

"And Global Justice does not care for you," Will Du, in charge of the escort detail, assured the woman. "Our concern is entirely for the well-being of Miss Possible and her ability to function freely."

The group arrived outside the door of Betty Director. Will knocked, "Miss Possible and the criminal are here," he announced.

"Let them in," Dr. Director called.

Will opened the door. Betty Director sat behind her desk. A middle-aged man in a suit sat in one of her office chairs, with two empty chairs available. "Kim, Mallory, please - take a seat."

"Mallory?" Kim asked, and glanced at Shego.

"You didn't think her real name was Shego, did you?"

"No, I--"

"My name is Shego," the green woman loudly insisted. "You want to talk to me, you use my name."

"Very well, Shego, please sit down. Will, please wait in the outer office."

"The security detail?"

"You may dismiss them."

Will nodded and the other three left. Inside the office Dr. Director made introductions, "Kim, Shego, this is Hamilton Burger from the Department of Justice. He'll be handling the prosecution when Shego goes to trial."

The man of the DOJ shook hands with Kim, but did not extend the courtesy to Shego.

"What in the hell is this all about?" the green woman demanded.

Rather than answering the question Betty turned to Kim, "They say a person is better off not seeing how sausage and political deals are made. I'll ask you to wait with Will in the outer office."

After Kim left the lawyer addressed Shego, "You are here today to learn about what you will be charged with, and the likely consequences of your actions if we get a conviction. And I believe we can get a conviction."

In the outer office Will told Kim not to sit down. "You need to walk down the hall." He took a clipboard with some papers off the desk.

"Do you know what happens if I get too far from Shego?"

"Global Justice has heard, Miss Possible. We wish to verify the report for ourselves."

Kim noticed strips of masking tape stuck to the floor at one-meter intervals.

Will pointed down the hallway, "Please, walk slowly in that direction."

"How far do I need to go," she asked nervously, "I really don't like this."

"I would like a record of your level of anxiety as you walk down the hall. You are being taped and the video record will be time-stamped to compare with the criminal's responses.

Kim walked slowly down the hall, describing her feelings to Will at each one meter interval. In the office of Betty Director Shego suddenly looked around. "What are you doing with Kim?" she demanded.

"What do you mean? We aren't doing anything to Kim."

"Don't lie to me. You're moving her. She's getting further from me."

"You're imagining things," the prosecutor told her. "She's in the outer office."

"No, she's not!" Shego almost screamed. "Bring her back!"

"I'm really feeling uncomfortable," Kim told Will in the hall.

"Please, Miss Possible, keep walking."

"Only if you move away from me, I'm afraid you're going to attack me."

"I have no intention of harming you. I--"

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Kim screamed.

Before Will could answer Kim his communicator sounded, "Bring her back," Betty Director ordered, "this one is about to break down a steel reinforced door."

Kim sat in the outer office, trembling, as Will went to find her a cup of water.

In the director's office Betty tried to apologize, "…had to be certain the reports were accurate."

"Damn it, I hope you're satisfied," Shego swore, trying to regain her composure and hating the fact she had shown weakness.

"Satisfied is the one thing we are not," Dr. Director told her firmly. "Kim has done favors for Global Justice more than once and we do not like her being shackled to you."

"You think I like this?" Shego shot back.

"You're not in prison," the head of Global Justice pointed out.

"Yeah, in prison there's more privacy."

"Ah, prison," the prosecutor intoned. "That is what is facing you, Ms. Wright."

"Shego, remember?"

"The name by your prison number will be Mallory Wright… How did you become Shego?"

"Ask my dumb-ass brother," Shego muttered.

"The Department of Justice is in a position to offer you favors - in return for favors."

Shego's eyes narrowed, "What sort of favors are you talking about? Both of them. What you can do for me and what you want me to do?"

"There is a great deal we can do for you. We can choose not to prosecute some crimes. We can offer partial amnesty in some cases, perhaps even the option of a full pardon."

"And what do you want?"

"Oh, there are a number of things we want. To have you as a material witness at Drakken's trial would be very nice. We would like--"

"I'm not going to rat on Drakken."

"He's the one who got you stuck on Kim Possible," Betty Director pointed out.

"He screwed up, but it was an accident. I won't sell him out. Period. Non-negotiable. If that's all you got the conversation is over."

"That is not all we want," Mr. Burger assured her. "But it was the big one. There may be other things you know of interest to us or other ways you can demonstrate a willingness to cooperate."

Betty perhaps betrayed too much eagerness when she broke in, "Like helping Kim in an official request for her aid."

"No way I'm helping the cheerleader."

"There are many levels of aid," the lawyer reminded her in an oily voice, reminding her exactly why she hated lawyers. "Just standing to one side would be more helpful than what you've been reported to have done. The Department of Justice would look with even greater favor on your case if you offered more assistance than that, however."

Shego bit her lower lip nervously, thinking of possibilities, and then demonstrated she would consider the offer, "I want every day I've been stuck on Pollyanna Perfect to count as quadruple time for good behavior at sentencing. I want time off for good behavior. And I want that in writing."

"Quadruple time! You're dreaming. We will accept your time with Kim as time served with good behavior - but only as single time."

"Quadruple time."

"Impossible. Simple time served."

"Triple time?"

"Sorry, impossible."

"I want triple time."

"Can't be done… Double time?"

"Can I have that in writing?"

Negotiations lasted for hours. At noon they ordered delivery service for lunch. Kim wished she had brought a book. Talking with Will Du was only slightly more exciting that watching paint dry.

In the mid-afternoon Shego emerged from Betty Director's office with a large manila envelope clutched in her hands and a big smile on her face. "Home, James," she told Kim. "I need a safe place for this."

"You look happy," Kim commented as they got in the Sloth.

"Why shouldn't I be? Hanging around with you helps reduce my sentence."

"You like hanging around with me?"

"No. But we're stuck together at the moment - and at least now I'm getting something out of it."

"What's the deal?"

"Every day we're stuck counts as time served if I don't fight too much with you, and if I help you with something big the DOJ will drop a charge against me."

"How did you work out the details?"

"It took all day, Princess, you can read the details if you want." Shego waved the envelope again.

"Can you give me the short form?"

"Basically it says we don't have to like each other, but if I play nice I'll substantially reduce my sentence. Really help you and it gets even better."

"Play nice… Do I get to give you a grade on how badly you mess that up?"

"No way. But I won't be asking crooks for money to beat you up any more." Shego assumed an air of mock piety, "I am a changed woman, good and virtuous in all I say and do."

"Yeah, right," Kim drawled. "At least we don't have to like each other."

"Amen," Shego agreed. "Hey, this is my lucky day. Can we hit a singles bar again tonight? I feel like my luck is changed."

"No."

"You make it hard to play nice with you, you know that?"

Kim didn't see any sudden change in the green woman, but their relationship had been slowly improving over the weeks. They continued to give each other as much space as the feeling of anxiety allowed. Fights were now rare between them. It is true they threw dishes and silverware at each other in the kitchen, but only when they were setting the table and one would toss items from the cupboards or drawers to the other one to put on the table. When Anne told them to stop they claimed it was a training exercise, but she suspected they simply wanted to frighten her into excusing them from kitchen chores and refused to cave in.

Ron continued to console Tara, although Kim felt the blonde now appeared happy enough to not require the attention.

No calls came in from Global Justice in the next month. Shego felt conflicted about the deal she had accepted. Having some charges dismissed and sentences reduced sounded good to her. The prospect of helping Kim sounded too much like the bad old days of Team Go to the green woman.

The week of rain that threatened to flood Lowerton brought a promise of a day off school to any Middleton High students who would go to help fill sandbags and stack them on the levee. Shego might have passed on Lowerton. It sounded like a lot of work for very little reward, but it was the sort of thing Kim rushed to help with.

Steve Barkin took attendance as the student volunteers climbed into the buses the next morning. Anyone who claimed a day off to help would be in serious trouble if they were not on one of the buses. The whole cheerleading squad was there, dressed in old jeans, grubby sweatshirts and ponchos or other rain gear.

The pace of the work was frantic. The river was predicted to crest about four feet over flood stage - about a foot over the height of the Lowerton levee. Kim and Shego got into a competition to see who could carry the most bags. Ron tried to keep up with the pair, but failed. "Don't burn yourselves out, Ladies," a National Guard captain called. "Don't hurt your backs. And you can work longer if you pace yourselves."

"I am pacing myself," Shego called back. "The problem is Princess here trying to keep up with me."

There was no chance of Bonnie burning out. The woman was trying to get into every picture of the two local television crews, the newspaper photographer, and a national news feed. She was the only cheerleader to arrive for sandbagging in full makeup, and an hour and a half into the day she still wasn't showing any of the dirt and sand that covered every other Middleton student.

The Red Cross provided sandwiches and hot coffee for the workers. The hot coffee was appreciated. Most of the volunteers were so covered with sand that the sandwiches ended up tasting gritty.

In the early afternoon the news crews started racing down to the levee to set up cameras.

"What's happening?" Ron called.

"Some idiot tried to kayak in the floodwaters. Got his paddle smashed. They've got a Guard helicopter trying to lower a ladder to him, but he's unresponsive - in these waters there's no way to get someone down to him."

Kim paused a minute, allowing Shego to get two more sandbags ahead of her in their competition.

"There's got to be a way to save him."

Shego, who needed a break more than she would ever admit, disagreed. "Kayaking in flood waters? Let the sucker die."

"Shego!"

"Seriously, Princess. He's not worth risking anyone's life for. Ever hear of the Darwin Awards?"

"Darwin Awards?"

"For stupid people who find ways to kill themselves before they have a chance to breed. Survival of the fittest. Although idiots tend to breed early."

"If someone could get a rope out to him--"

"Hello!" Shego called - pointing to the rushing water. "What part of flood, uprooted trees, miscellaneous debris, cold, and hypothermia do you not understand? There is no way to get a boat out there to intercept him."

"A swimmer with a rope--"

"God damn it, Kim, get real. A fish couldn't survive in that water. You--"

The sound of a helicopter could be heard. They both glanced up-river and could see the chopper with a ladder dangling beneath it. The pilot kept maneuvering, as if hoping to connect with something in the river below him.

"Ron," Kim yelled. "Find a rope. I'm getting a life vest."

"How long a rope?"

"Long!"

"Stop it!" Shego yelled, "this is insane."

Kim didn't listen. Shego gave serious thought to attacking Kim - the cheerleader was risking both their lives. Sweating in fear that had nothing to do with distance the green woman moved close to the water. "Let me help with the rope, Stoppable."

"She said no. Said you'd try to pull her in early."

She shifted her weight nervously, "I'm here if you need me."

"Thanks."

The camera crews and the attention of everyone on the levee were focused on Kim as she fought the water. She didn't try to swim against the current, which would have exhausted her. She swam with the current as much as possible, trying to reach the middle of the rushing water. She was obviously tiring as the water-logged kayak reached the Lowerton levee. The current sucked Kim under the surface and gasps were heard along the shore, then her hand emerged from the water. She grabbed the kayak and held on tight as Ron and a half dozen other volunteers began to slowly pull Kim and kayak to safety against the strong current.

Shego realized she had been holding her breath and let it out with a gasp. As Kim was drawn close to the riverbank Shego stumbled away and went back to grab another sandbag. Bonnie stood by the sand and bags but despite the presence of a shovel beside her she was doing no work. She was the only person who had not gone down to watch the rescue.

Knowing Shego's dislike for Kim the brunette looked for sympathy from the green woman. "She just does it to get her picture in the paper. Whatever she does, she makes sure that everyone knows it was the great Kim Possible who did it. Well, she's not that great, she--"

Shego grabbed Bonnie by the front of her clean, pink designer pullover and lifted her in the air, then shook the cheerleader like a rag doll to get her attention. There was a look of fear in Bonnie's eyes and Shego held her still. "I don't like Kim. But she's out there risking her life to save some fuckin' moron from drowning. I don't like you either. And all you're doing it bitching because you're a selfish little snot who isn't getting the attention you want. See the difference?"

Bonnie said nothing.

Shego shook her again, "See the difference."

"Yes! Yes I see the difference."

"No… No, I don't think you do… But you're going to."

Blankets had been wrapped around Kim and the kayaker when they reached land. He would be loaded in an ambulance and treated for hypothermia. Kim needed to dry off in a warm building and borrow a change of clothes - she'd probably need Shego close. As the crowd accompanied the two from the water Shego shouted, "Hey, need some help here!"

"What happened," someone called.

"Bonnie Rockwaller and I were trying to unload a truckload of sand for the bags. Hit something wrong… She's buried in the pile of sand, we need to get her out."

There was a muffled scream of, "You're standing on my arm!" as a half dozen men frantically dug through the sand.

Kim waited for the rescue before demanding Shego stay close. Bonnie was filthy and coughing up sand when they pulled her out of the pile. Shego brushed sand off the brunette in a sympathetic manner as she explained, "She was just so eager to help load bags that she wanted us to unload the dump truck. I'm afraid we really didn't know what we were doing. Isn't that right, Bonnie?"

The tanned woman quickly agreed. "That's right. Just want to help. Where's my shovel?"

Twenty minutes later Kim was back beside Shego, trying to keep up with her pace as they piled sandbags on the levee. The river crested just before eight in the evening, the water lapping at the top row of sandbags. Under flood lights on the National Guard trucks they continued to shore up the weaker spots of the levee, but by eleven the waters had receded slightly. The danger was not entirely passed, but the National Guard thanked the Middleton High students and the exhausted teens filled their buses for the trip home. Barkin, as exhausted as any of the teens, checked their names off the list. He told them all to not to bother to come in to school. None of them had planned to anyway.

Tired, cold, and filthy Kim and Shego got off the bus in the Middleton High parking lot. Ron's parents were there with Hana to meet him when the bus arrived. It was late. Kim had called to assure her parents they were safe and that they didn't have to wait up worrying about them.

"You want to watch Bonnie hog the camera on the news?" Kim asked.

"Pass," Shego yawned, " besides, nightly news was hours ago. Hot shower. Bed."

"Leave some hot water… I'm starving. You hungry at all?"

"Little… You can eat while I shower."

"I'm going to the drive-thru at Segar's Fried Chicken."

"Okay, you talked me into eating. Spicy three piece dinner with a side of red beans and rice."

The woman at the window handed Kim her change and the bag with the dinners. Kim dropped the change in the ashtray and handed the bag to Shego as she put the Sloth in gear.

As they drove home Kim commented, "You were good today."

"Only good 'cause I had to be. Good is for suckers."

"You didn't have to see which of us could carry the most sandbags. You could have goofed off."

"Just proving I was better than you."

"No, you were good. You enjoyed helping people."

"You are so lucky I'm tired, or I'd make you take that back."

Kim was silent for a couple blocks. "I almost like you when you're tired." Shego, having fallen asleep, said nothing. Kim parked in the driveway and shook Shego's shoulder. "Hey, we're home."

The green woman managed to eat one piece of chicken and the beans and rice before putting the rest of the dinner in the refrigerator and heading up to the shower.

"Hope you left some hot water," Kim complained as Shego emerged from the steamy bathroom in a terrycloth robe and a towel wrapped around her head."

"Tried not to. Night."

When Kim finished her shower she discovered Shego had collapsed on top of the bed,_ "Darn it! She knew it was her night for the cot."_ Kim looked over at the narrow cot, and back to the wide bed. Shego was over to one side. The bed looked tempting. Kim yawned, _"She was tired. Maybe she just forgot. I don't think she was trying to start a fight."_ Half of the bed was still wider than the cot, and infinitely more comfortable. Kim decided not to wake up Shego and tell the older woman to move. Instead the redhead pulled blankets over the sleeping woman, then went to the other side of the bed and crawled in.

* * *

AN: Bonnie won't tell the police about the 'accident' with the sand truck because Shego would reveal what Bonnie had said to provoke the attack. Bonnie wants to see Shego suffer in some way, but not if it exposes Bonnie's selfishness to the world.


	8. Every Smile You Fake

Boilerplate Disclaimer: The various characters from the Kim Possible series are owned by Disney. Cheap shots at celebrities constitute fair usage.

**Every Smile You Fake**

The radio alarm in the bedroom of the Drs. Possible awakened Anne, as it did most mornings. And, as most mornings, she needed to poke her husband in the ribs to awaken him - she wondered how he managed to sleep through the alarm. The local station broadcast news of the floodwaters at Lowerton and they lay in bed with their arms around each other as they listened. The host mentioned that the students who worked filling sandbags were not required to go to school. Anne, not knowing the students had already been informed, went to tell Kim and Shego they could sleep late.

Anne suspected they knew when she heard no sounds of movement from Kim's room. Her daughter usually got up about the same time as Anne and James. Suddenly worried that perhaps they hadn't made it home she hurried up the stairs and turned on the light. She quickly turned the light back off and leaned against the door-frame in shock. Kim and Shego were in bed together. It took her half a minute to compose herself. Neither woman had awakened. Anne's eyes adjusted to the dim light in the room which filtered in through the open door.

Kim was on one side of the bed, Shego lay on the other side. _"Plenty of room in between… Shego's wearing her pajamas, Kim's in her nightgown… Maybe I'm over-reacting. Maybe it doesn't mean anything that my daughter is in bed with a criminal… Don't blow this out of proportion. It's a big bed; the cot is uncomfortable. They were both tired… I think I need to make breakfast."_

Kim woke up at nine-thirty with a stomach growling for food. It took her a second to remember why the older woman was in bed with her. It didn't appear Shego would awaken any time soon and Kim headed down to the kitchen.

The distance between Kim's bedroom and the kitchen assured a low level of anxiety. Kim's mantra of, "It's not real. It's not real," allowed her to function with her fears. The two women avoided distances where rational thought began to break down. From experience Kim knew that Shego might have nightmares if she didn't wake up, and the teen poured milk on a bowl of cold cereal and headed back upstairs to check email. She also scooped up a note her mother had left for her on the kitchen table.

Kim planned to check email while eating cereal, but first she read the very curious note from her mother.

Kim,  
The radio said you didn't have to go to school.  
I think you already knew that, but I stopped at  
your room to tell you. Is there anything you need  
to tell me?  
Love,  
Mom  
PS, would like dinner at 6:00. Ask Shego to use  
tomatoes in the 'fridge to make a salad.

Kim tried to figure out the note while she ate. Kim knew she didn't need to go to school and Shego made a better salad. Why did her mother think there was something she needed to tell her?

Kim made the call from outside her room. "Mom?"

"Kim, are you all right?"

"Fine, just curious."

"Curious about what?"

"About your note… What did you think I needed to tell you about? I think I know, and it wasn't as dangerous as you think. Ron was there to help. I don't do things like that for fun, it's what I felt I had to do."

Kim wondered if she had lost the connection. Her mother said nothing. Finally Kim asked, "Mom? Are you still there?"

"Ron there? Dangerous? No fun? Kim, what are you talking about?"

"The rescue… What are you talking about?"

"The rescue? What rescue?"

"Didn't you hear about it on the radio?"

"No, I…" Anne laughed. "Never mind, I'll talk with you--"

"Mom! What were you asking about?"

"It doesn't matter."

"You've got me curious, what were you talking about?"

Anne hesitated, "Did the note say I stopped at your room this morning?"

"Yes."

"I turned on the light."

"I don't remember that."

"You slept through it… You and Shego… You were in bed…"

Kim's laughter woke up Shego, who opened the bedroom door and shouted, "Hey, I was asleep!"

"My mom caught us in bed."

"Huh?"

"You were supposed to take the cot, you got in the bed."

Shego closed the door and crawled back into bed. Sometimes she worried everyone in the world was crazy except her.

Most of the cheerleaders met at the mall's nail shop that afternoon to repair the sandbagging damage. Afterward they hit the food court. Shego warned Kim to be prepared and disappeared for a few minutes. Kim was beginning to wonder who at the table would attack her when Shego returned, carrying a box she set in front of Bonnie.

Bonnie feared a bomb, or at the very least a poisonous snake. "What's that?"

"I got you something. Needed to say sorry for yesterday."

"You got something for Bonnie?" Kim asked in amazement. "Why?" Other cheerleaders looked puzzled as well.

"We, uh, had a little argument yesterday after you rescued the jerk. I, uh, don't regret what I said - but the way I made my point might have been a little strong."

Bonnie continued to stare at the box. There was no way in the world she would open it.

"Bonnie!" Shego asked sharply.

Startled back to attention the brunette snapped, "What?"

"I said I'm sorry. Do you accept my apology?"

"Absolutely," she responded almost too quickly. "I was wrong and I'll be more careful in how I express myself." She returned to staring at the box.

"Going to open it?" Tara asked.

Bonnie cautiously pushed it toward the blonde, hoping it didn't go off. "You can open it." Bonnie slid her chair back slightly as the other cheerleaders crowded around Tara.

"Will you share?" Hope asked.

"Uh, sure," Bonnie told them, wondering why they wanted their own tarantulas. The other cheerleaders quickly grabbed chocolate covered strawberries for themselves. Bonnie waited a minute to see make certain they didn't have habanero filling, then took one for herself.

Marcella managed to beat Crystal in the race for the last strawberry. "You need to get in fights more often with Shego," she suggested to Bonnie.

Bonnie shuddered, "No thanks. She proved her point yesterday."

"What was the argument about?" Tara asked.

Bonnie looked slightly nervous when Shego opened her mouth, but the green woman answered, "I've completely forgotten."

There was an uncomfortable moment in the bedroom that night. "It's your turn for the cot," Shego reminded Kim.

"But you slept on the bed last night, not the cot," Kim responded, "so you ought to take the cot tonight."

They each looked at the cot, then back to the bed. "Half the bed is wider than the cot," Shego pointed out.

"And more comfortable… You stay on your half."

"Well you stay on your half."

"Don't touch me."

"In your dreams, Possible. You couldn't pay me to touch you."

They each got into one side of the bed, and rolled with her back toward the other.

The next week Shego got her first chance to earn points with the Department of Justice. The theory had sounded better in the Global Justice office than the reality proved to be.

"Masked Avenger? What kind of a stupid name is the Masked Avenger?" the muffled voice from inside the mask asked as the plane neared the mission site.

"You could have been Shego and worn your regular costume," Kim reminded her.

"No way in hell! I worked damn hard for my reputation and--"

"You call everyone thinking you're a sarcastic bad-ass a reputation?"

"Nobody crossed me--"

"Except Kim," Ron reminded her. "You could have gotten the Barbarian Princess costume."

"Ron!" both women protested.

"I'm not wearing anything that says Princess," the Masked Avenger assured him. "And that was a stripper's costume, I swear."

"A chain mail bikini?" Kim said in disgust. "What kind of armor is a chain mail bikini?"

"I, uh, think it's supposed to be a distraction," he suggested. "I think it'd be real effective."

"Then you wear it next time," Shego suggested.

"You could've worn the Sheila of the Leopard People costume," Ron continued. "Kim wore that once."

"And when I fought Shego she demonstrated why a costume with a tail is a really bad idea," Kim reminded him.

"Besides," the Masked Avenger added, "it still showed face. My green is distinctive and I don't want people to know I hang around with heroes."

"Okay then, you could have gone with Stanislaus Steel. You'd have been bulletproof in that costume."

Shego began ticking off the problems, "First, it was a costume. It wouldn't be as strong as the armor in the comic book."

"And she wouldn't have been able to fight in that outfit," Kim explained, "no flexibility."

"And it was not built for a woman," Shego assured him. "Princess here might have fit inside, but it was too small in the chest for me. The girls would not have been happy."

"The girls? What girls?" Ron asked, clearly puzzled.

"Go ask the pilot how long until we reach our destination," Kim suggested.

The battle with the Underminer went faster than the trio could have imagined. Kim seemed surprised by how well Shego's fighting style and approach to the battle complemented her own, while Shego delighted on being part of the winning team for a change.

As authorities collected the minions to transport to prison Ron went in search of a candy store for snacks on the flight back.

Kim smiled, even the full body costume could not hide the fact that the 'Masked Avenger' felt absolutely jubilant at the victory - praising Kim and asking the redhead if she had seen some particularly good moves the 'Avenger' had made. Eventually Shego ruined the mood. "What is it with wonder boy," she asked when Ron was out of earshot. "He was useless today, I mean, even by his standards he was useless."

"Don't say that about Ron… Ron has this amazing ability to do as little as necessary to succeed. If he's not needed he doesn't do much. If you need him to do something fantastic he comes through with something fantastic. Today he didn't need to do much."

"'Cause you and I were fantastic all by ourselves. You don't need him, Princess, he holds you back."

"No he doesn't! You and I worked okay together today, but--"

"Just okay together? We did better than that."

"All right, today we were great together. But we might not have been. Or maybe next time there's a problem. Ron has always come through for me when I needed him. If I needed him to work a miracle for me I think he'd find a way to do it."

On the flight home Shego pulled off the Masked Avenger costume and tried to get comfortable for a nap. Ron sat several rows back, and Kim sat down in the seat beside him, still smiling as she thought of the times he had come through for her when she needed him. "It was fun today, just like old times," she laughed.

"Yeah," he agreed. "Who could have imagined working with Shego instead of against her?"

Kim raised an eyebrow in what she hoped was a flirtatious manner, "So, Big Boy, what are your plans for the flight home and this evening?"

Ron yawned, "Hope to catch some Zs. We're going to be home in time for me to take Tara to the Civic Center for the touring company of Dogs."

"You're taking Tara to Dogs?"

"Yeah."

"You didn't ask… I mean, sorry, I didn't know… Those tickets are expensive."

"Her mom works for the Center, so Tara scored the tickets and asked me. If we're home in time we'll hit Mozart's for dinner. I mean, they're great tickets so I feel like I owe her a great dinner."

"Very chivalrous of you, Ron," Kim managed to get out between gritted teeth. "I'll let you get your nap."

She moved to the rear of the plane and tried to get comfortable. She was close enough to Shego that she suffered no anxiety attacks, but she still didn't sleep on the flight.

When they got home from the mission Kim had Shego help her work on college applications, they didn't have anything else to do.

After the applications they went up to Kim's bedroom. Kim was propped up in bed, studying math while Shego sat at the desk attempting to puzzle out an English assignment.

"He never took me to concerts," Kim suddenly remarked. "I took him to the Oh Boyz. I got no concert. He's taken her. They're going to see Dogs. I never got a good dinner. Tonight he's taking her to the best restaurant in town."

"Huh?"

"Ron… It's your fault he isn't with me. He's taking Tara to Mozart's. You've ruined everything!"

"I'm a victim here too, Princess!" Shego snapped.

"You a victim?" Kim snorted. "How do you figure?"

"Look, I'm every bit as stuck with you as you're stuck with me - and I don't like it any better than you do."

"You had a choice! You agreed to go along with Drakken's plan. You're as much to blame as he is."

"He didn't tell me it was going to screw up my life."

"No, you were just willing to put me through hell. Where would I be if this had affected me and not you? You'd have made me some obedient little pet - always cowering in fear that her mistress would leave her?"

"I'd have never agreed to this if I knew how bad it was! I'd have never agreed if I'd known how long it would last! You really think I'm that low?"

"If the shoe fits…"

Shego didn't speak to Kim for the rest of the evening.

The green woman lay in bed with her back to Kim. She couldn't sleep and wondered why the redhead's words hurt so much. Kim's accusations were true enough. If Kim had been affected by the ray and not Shego the green woman probably would have put the younger woman through hell. Shego tried to excuse what might have been in her own mind - she didn't know the level of terror the device caused and wanted to believe she would not want Kim to suffer… Why did she care what Kim thought about her anyway? Why did the idea of hurting Kim bother her badly, why did it make her feel so disgusted with herself?

Shego sighed as she tried to be honest with herself. She was starting to like Kim. The cheerleader was vain and holier-than-thou and far too competitive since she imagined she could keep up with the older woman, but Shego had to admit she was a good kid. There was warmth and caring in the younger woman, whether for idiots like the kayaker or buffoons like Ron. Shego smiled, Kim was a good kid, cute too... Shego lost the smile, and Kim would always hate her guts for ruining her life.


	9. Every Claim You Stake

Boilerplate Disclaimer: The various characters from the Kim Possible series are all owned by Disney. Any and all registered trade names property of their respective owners. Cheap shots at celebrities constitute fair usage.

**Every Claim You Stake**

Anne noticed the change in Shego first, even before Shego herself, and Kim remained oblivious. Shego acted nicer towards Kim. The two had learned to cooperate out of necessity, but Anne had always picked up the underlying tension between them. The two had performed small favors for each other on a strictly, 'do-unto-others' basis, but now the green woman volunteered small favors to make Kim's life more comfortable. Anne didn't know what the change meant, and feared the unknown. She hoped a way was found, and soon, to separate them.

Wade continued to search for a solution, but continued to fail. He brought the women down to the hospital for some sophisticated tests. "You had us do this before," Kim reminded him as her mother helped prep her for the functional magnetic resonance imaging, "this is how you found out that it affects us pretty much equally."

"Look, I don't want to get your hopes up, but I think I've seen a little change in the rough tests I've been running every week."

"Really?" both women said together.

"Maybe… That's why we're here. Look, I said don't get your hopes up. I want to see the two of you free from each other. Sometimes a researcher wants a result so badly he reads it even when it's not there. This will give me a more reliable, quantifiable result. Oh, Kim?"

"Yes?"

"Wear a blindfold. No visual clues about where Shego is while I run the test."

"How soon will you know something for sure?" Shego asked.

"Don't know; it's going to take a series of tests, each about a week apart, to gather significant statistical data."

Kim returned to the original point, "But you think you saw change?"

"I _think_ I saw change, emphasis on think."

Shego hoped Wade was right. Kim needed some good news. Tara had switched the table where she normally sat to join Kim's table, always making certain to sit by Ron. Kim did her best to appear cheerful at school, but at home it appeared to both her mother and Shego that Kim was not happy. Kim uttered no accusation, but Shego knew the redhead blamed her for the distance with Ron.

Tara's second day with the group at lunch had been especially difficult. Ron had launched into a rambling story about playing a video game with Felix and Tara hung on his every word. The blonde stared at him with adoring eyes and laughed every time she was expected to laugh. After school Kim had yelled at Shego three times during cheerleader practice.

Even Bonnie had felt sympathy for Shego and patted her shoulder on the way to the showers. "I don't know what her problem is. You were fine."

"Thanks… I know what her problem is." _"It's me."_

Shego didn't speak to Kim for the rest of the evening. Kim apologized before going to bed. "I'm sorry. I'm just feeling really stressed."

"Trust me, I know the feeling, Princess. I'm stressed too."

Kim actually smiled, "Know what we need?"

"What?"

"Separate vacations."

Shego laughed, "Deal. Tomorrow afternoon I'll do homework on the kitchen table and you can use the coffee table in the dining room."

Thursday things escalated when Tara brought cupcakes for the group at the table, "For making me feel so welcome," she giggled.

"They're really good," Felix assured her.

"Chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting. Ron said they're his favorite."

Kim managed to not take it out on the Shego that day, but her locker door, door to the Sloth, front door, and bed room door all suffered from the wrath of the redhead.

Kim went to her bedroom soon after dinner to sulk, and Shego followed to write a history paper. Unfortunately Kim could not rant quietly to herself and it made if difficult for Shego to work.

Finally, after hearing, 'he should have stuck by me,' for the seventh time, Shego gave up and shut the textbook, "I'm pretty sure that 'for better or worse' thing is just for weddings, not dating."

"Well it ought to apply."

"Hey, are you saying I'm the worst?"

"Nah, you're just worse.

Worse than what?"

"I don't know… Pick anything this side of two World Wars and the Black Death. I figure you're worse."

Shego opened the history textbook again, "Once upon a time, Princess, and not so very many weeks ago, I'd have tried to punch you in the nose for saying that."

"But now you're wiser and more mature?"

"Nah, I don't feel like scrubbing the toilet. We could use a cleaning in there. Why don't you take a swing at me?"

"I don't feel like scrubbing the toilet either… Hey, do you think if we got the tweebs in trouble they might be sentenced to hard labor in our bathroom?"

"Probably not," Shego predicted and turned back to history. She straightened up again, "Pumpkin?"

"Yeah?"

"I really am sorry about messing things up."

"Sorry for messing things up for Ron and me, or for messing things up for you?"

"Both, I guess. But if I had to be stuck with someone… I hope you don't get mad for saying this, but you're not bad. You keep me sharp."

Kim thought for a minute, "You know, of all the people on earth I could be stuck with… If I had my choice you wouldn't make the top ten. But you're not bad either… You would have been the last person I wanted to be stuck to, but now that we are… Maybe you're somewhere between eleven and twenty."

"I can live with top twenty."

"I might put you in the top ten - if you stop snoring."

"Hey, I don't complain when you steal the blankets."

"They're my blankets!"

"I'm a guest, remember? You're supposed to treat me with respect."

Kim suddenly jumped up off the bed and gave Shego a hug, "Thanks for listening to me."

The green woman's heart did a curious lurch. The two mostly avoided touching each other except when it could not be avoided - such as cheerleading practice. It wasn't that they disliked each other. While the banter continued, and sometimes reflected the old dislikes, the two had come to like each other. There were nights when they would lie in bed and chat about the day or their dreams until Anne called for them to go to sleep. But they avoided touching. When you are forced to stay near a person twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week the little private space you have becomes very important.

Kim's hug felt good, it felt too good. Shego knew she was falling, but there was no way Kim could return the feeling. Shego couldn't tell Kim how she was feeling, it would only make the younger woman hate being shackled to her even more.

Shego stayed awake even after Kim fell asleep. The green woman stared over, barely able to make out the sleeping woman's form on the other side of the bed. This made things so much more difficult. She tried hard to generate some of the old hatred. She knew how to live with hating Kim, not caring what the younger woman thought or how she felt. She didn't know how to live with a woman she cared for, but a woman who hated her for ruining her life.

Kim's sleeping patterns didn't help the older woman. It didn't happen every night, but about once or twice a week problems developed. On the first occasion Shego woke up after Kim kicked her out of bed but before she hit the floor.

"What in the hell are you doing?" Shego demanded.

"You were over by me!"

Shego turned on the nightstand light, "You're on my half of the bed."

"What?"

"I'll say it slowly. You. are. on. my. side. of. the. bed."

Kim woke up enough to discover it was true. "Sorry," she apologized and returned to her half of the bed.

After the third or fourth time Shego explained, "You're a migratory sleeper."

"I'm a what?"

"Migratory sleeper… The real bad cases end up crawling into other people's beds. You're just all over your own."

"Do we need to go back to one of us on the cot?"

Shego didn't know what to say. It was heaven and hell to wake up with Kim warm beside her. Once Kim even had an arm over the green woman. It was heaven to have Kim beside her. It was hell because it meant nothing to Kim and Shego didn't dare respond to the younger woman's presence. "I don't know, Princess… Hey, it's your problem - you can sleep on the cot if it bothers you. Just don't kick me out of bed again."

The school year at Middleton High drew towards its close. The cheerleaders attended the sports award banquet. Tara hung on Ron's arm all evening, and Kim and Shego had another fight when they got home. Shego sensed a weakness and went on the offensive early in the argument when Kim complained again that Ron did more to impress Tara than he had ever done for her while they were dating.

"I hope you aren't blaming me for everything between you and Ron."

"Who else do you think I should blame?"

"Blame some of it on Ron--"

"You can't blame Ron!"

"He's been my friend since pre-K," Shego chanted in a high sing-song voice. "I've heard it a million times. Look, I think that's why he took you for granted. The two of you hung out since you were little kids. It didn't take anything special. You could hunt for frogs, hang out at the video arcade, or sit on the front steps and spit watermelon seeds. I'll bet the two of you have seen who could spit a watermelon seed the farthest, haven't you?"

"What does that have to do with--"

"Haven't you?"

"Yes."

"And I'll bet you always won. Because winning is important to you. You can't take being number two at anything. But my point is, he never had to impress you before. You were best friend. He didn't have to do anything special because the two of you just liked being together. So he still wasn't trying. Tara is special he needs to impress her. He--"

"Do I get to blame that dumb, manipulating blonde?"

"I think that's the harshest thing I've ever heard from you. Sure, put some blame on her - but you can't have her both dumb and manipulating."

"Why not?"

"Because you can't be both manipulating and dumb, doesn't work. She needs Ron, Princess. Needs him. That makes him feel big and strong and smart and important. When he says something she believes he's as wise as Solomon. You've seen them together. Did you need him, Princess?"

"Of course I needed him. He always has my back, I--"

"Need, Princess, not want, _need_. You're smart, confident, athletic… Hell, you don't need anyone--"

"Yes I do," Kim snapped. "We all do!"

Shego thought for a minute, then spoke softly "Maybe you're right. Maybe we all need someone. And we need to feel needed… I don't feel like anyone needs or wants me… I don't think Ron felt like you needed him. He--"

"I always encouraged him to try harder! I told him he had great potential!"

"Listen to yourself," Shego shot back. "You told him to try harder, to make something of himself. He wasn't good enough now, but maybe if he applied himself… Maybe Tara accepts him the way he is. Maybe you--"

"You're saying I deserve some of the blame? You'd shift blame from you to me?"

Shego shrugged, "I never claimed to be innocent. I'm just saying, maybe the problems were there before you and I got glued together. Maybe I'm just the catalyst that sped things up."

The two didn't speak for the rest of the evening. They lay awake in bed once the lights went out, but neither could sleep.

Shego thought she heard Kim crying, "Princess?"

Kim didn't answer.

"I'm sorry," Shego said softly. "I was wrong."

"No, you were right."

Shego reached over to give Kim a pat on the arm, and suddenly Kim was beside her, crying softly on the green woman's shoulder. The older woman awkwardly wrapped an arm around Kim and held her. They said nothing, but at that moment Kim needed to be held. After crying for several minutes she calmed down and went to sleep, still nestled against Shego.

Kim apologized the next morning as Shego rubbed her arm to restore circulation after holding Kim all night. "Thanks for holding me… I needed that."

"No problem, Princess."

"I'll try to stop being such a whiner."

"Well, I'm here if you need me… Hell, I'm here if you don't need me."

They each managed a weak laugh. Shego remembered Wade's warning about seeing what you wanted to see. It seemed to her that Kim began to grow a little happier over the next few days, but she wanted to see Kim happier. The redhead stopped complaining about Ron deserting her, and almost sounded friendly to Tara at the lunch table.

At least Shego hoped she saw Kim getting happier. The impression lasted about a week, and then the posters went up around school advertising the senior prom, and the cheerleader slid back into depression.

"Sorry for messing up your life," Shego said.

"Not your fault," Kim answered as she stared up at the ceiling.

Shego felt certain it was her fault, or that at least Kim imagined it was her fault. "Want to catch a movie?"

"Nah."

"C'mon, better than sitting on your ass and moping."

"If you notice, I'm not sitting down, I'm lying flat on my back."

"Same difference."

"Fine. You're paying. You can pick the movie."

Shego picked a comedy, but it didn't cheer Kim up. The younger woman didn't laugh at any point and remained listless when they stopped for coffee before walking home.

"Prom?"

Kim sighed, "Yeah."

"It's a stupid dance."

"It's my senior prom! Some of those people I'll never see again after high school."

"And you should be singing Hallelujah that you won't have to see some of them."

Kim retreated into silence. They continued without conversation for half a block. "Want to go to the prom with me?" Shego finally asked.

Kim rolled her eyes. "Duh, everywhere I've gone for the last six months has--"

"Seven months," Shego corrected her. "Seven months, one week, four days and," Shego glanced at her watch, "seven hours and twelve minutes."

Kim's jaw dropped, "You're kidding."

Shego laughed, "Of course I'm kidding. At least about the time. I'm not kidding about the prom. I mean; you're going to be with me that evening regardless of what happens. You want the prom? Let's hit the prom."

"Us? The prom?"

"We could do it for shits and grins."

"Excuse me, what?"

"Shits and grins, it's an old expression."

"I forget sometimes, you're old. Sure you don't remember the Battle of Britain?"

"Hey! I'm not that old."

"Sorry, you're right." Kim sighed, "Thanks, really… But it wouldn't be the same… I… I just remember seeing pictures of couples. The girl was always in a beautiful dress and he was in a tux… Gawd, I saw my dad's prom picture. An electric blue tux. He looked like such a dork."

"I'll rent a tux."

"What?"

"I said I'd wear a tux if you go to the prom with me."

Kim actually smiled, "I might accept just to see you in one."

"You don't think I would?"

"Umm… I'm afraid to say. You'd do anything to prove me wrong."

"Want me to rent one in electric blue?"

"NO! Black is your color."

"So, sounds like you just accepted my invitation."

Kim hesitated, then shrugged her shoulders. "I guess I did."

Shego laughed, "I almost asked if I could see you shop for your dress or if it's like the wedding dress and I'm not supposed to see if before the prom. But you have to take me shopping with you."

"Hey, can I have veto power at the tux rental place?"

* * *

"Notice anything yet Wade?" Kim asked as the women went to the hospital for another run through the MRI scanner.

"I told you, too soon to tell… I got a drug we may try after this test is done… It hasn't sounded like a good idea to me, but I know you two want to be free so we'll give it a try."

"Drug?" Shego asked. "What does it do?"

"There's a fear specialist, Dr. Jonathan Crane, he produced a fear-suppression medication."

"Why haven't you told us about this before," Kim demanded.

"I said produced, not perfected, it may suppress too much fear."

"Like that makes any sense," Shego snorted.

Wade gathered the results from the MRI, then he and Anne Possible took Kim and Shego to the longest hallway they could find in the hospital. The pair each drank a cup of water in which a small amount of the medication had been dissolved.

After waiting a couple minutes to give the drug time to take effect Anne Possible told the women to slowly back away from each other. The two weren't sure the drug would work, but began to smile as they got further and further from each other with none of the usual fear. They started laughing, and Shego turned and ran to the far end of the hallway. "This is incredible!" the green woman shouted to Kim.

"Wade, you should have given this to us weeks ago."

Anne Possible and Wade looked at each other. He shrugged, "You run the test," he told her.

Dr. Possible walked over to her daughter. "Kim, I'm going to slap you."

Kim laughed.

Anne slapped her. Not hard, but Anne slapped her.

"Why did you do that?" Kim demanded.

"I'm going to slap you again." A second later Anne slapped her again.

"I asked why you did that!" Kim protested.

"Why did you let me slap you? I told you what I was going to do."

"You're my Mom, you won't slap me."

"Kim, honey, I'm about to slap you again." And she did.

Anne led her daughter back to Wade, while the black man beckoned for the reluctant Shego to rejoin them.

"That's the problem with the drug," Wade explained. "A little fear gives you a sense of perspective. You can decide if it's safe to cross the street or if a car is too close. Dr. Crane wanted a drug to help people with extreme phobias to function, but the drug's too effective. Don't go near a stove for the next couple hours until it wears off, and don't try crossing the street by yourselves."

As they left the hospital Shego managed to steal the small bottle holding the anti-fear pills for herself.

Wade still refused to say if he saw any changes when the two women went in for the third round of careful tests. He called them after collating the data, however.

"The effect is starting to wear off," he reported. "Not very much yet, but it is starting to wear off."

Shego moved in close to Kim to see the young man on the Kimmunicator. "Any idea how long it will take?"

He hesitated a second, "Too soon to tell. You know it's going slowly. I need to plot data points to see if it represents an arithmetic or geometric progression."

Kim turned to Shego, "Could you explain what he said to me, in English?"

"Arithmetic progression is a straight line, if it starts slow it stays slow. Geometric progression is a curve, it may start slow but as the effect begins to decay it will go faster and faster. That's the one we're hoping for."


	10. I'll Be Watching You

Boilerplate Disclaimer: The various characters from the Kim Possible series are all owned by Disney. Any and all registered trade names property of their respective owners. Cheap shots at celebrities constitute fair usage.

**I'll Be Watching You**

Three weeks until the prom, and Shego and Kim remained busy. With sports largely over cheerleading took less time, but Kim served on every group and committee in school - including prom decorations. 'Dancing in the Moonlight' served as the prom theme. Shego, not on any committees, attended with Kim and played Devil's advocate. She checked an almanac and discovered there would be a new moon that night.

Kim responded by asking if Wade could generate a holographic full moon to cast a light in the gym. Shego wished she had kept her mouth shut; she would rather Wade spent time trying to dissolve the bond holding her to Kim. But after months together he hadn't yet found a way and perhaps they simply had to wait until the effect wore off.

Global Justice also kept the two women and Ron busy with three missions in a two week period. While Shego could not enjoy hero work she enjoyed the idea of earning freedom and didn't grumble about participation.

The green woman remembered why she hated hero work on the second mission, when a giant robot flattened her - hero work was difficult with lousy pay. Kim, unable to come to Shego's aid because of her own battle with a second giant robot, saw the robot prepare to crush Shego beneath its foot.

Stunned and unable to roll away in time Shego watched in horror as the metallic foot drew nearer. Suddenly the robot's foot began to raise into the air as the construct turned and headed in the direction of Kim. Shego struggled to her knees. The robot had obviously decided she was out of the fight and wanted to help its partner crush Kim.

As she tried to rise and go to Kim's aid the thief noticed Ron playing with a handheld video-game console. It pretty much cemented her view of Ron as helpless.

The robot which had suddenly quit the effort to crush Shego attacked the robot Kim fought. Kim, exhausted from her fight with the metal giant, stepped back, panting, and watched the two machines slug it out.

Shego joined Kim, "What in the hell is going on?"

"I don't know." Kim looked over and saw Ron, "Are you controlling that thing?"

"Yeah. Rufus found the frequency. This is better than Rock'em Sock'em Robots™"

Shego still struggled catch her breath, "I don't believe it," she gasped. "Doofus saved us?"

"I told you he would," Kim reminded her. "And you've got to stop calling him Doofus now."

Even as Kim told Shego to show Ron more respect the robot he controlled tore the head off the second, which died with a shower of sparks, "Booy-yah!" he called. "I learned that move from Steel Toe."

When they reached Middleton Shego directed Kim to drive them to Bueno Nacho. "Okay, Stoppable, all you can eat for being a hero."

"Call me Ron. All I can eat? Really?"

"My treat, Sport. I think my life is worth it."

"Do you have any idea how much he can eat here?" Kim whispered as Ron went to the counter to place his first order.

"No," Shego admitted, "but c'mon, how much can one guy eat?"

Forty-five minutes later Shego admitted, "That was amazing," as Ron finished his fifth large tray of food. "Going back for number six?"

"Nah," Ron answered. "Supper in an hour. Mom wouldn't want me to spoil my appetite."

"Please tell me he's kidding," Shego asked Kim.

"I warned you."

"Thanks, Shego, but you really didn't have to," Ron told her.

"Hey, you saved my life today. I either had to treat you to all you could eat or have sex with you."

Ron's jaw dropped. "I had a choice?"

"No you didn't," Kim told him.

Shego winked, "Of course you did, Tiger."

"I had a choice?"

Kim gave Shego a look of disgust, "You shouldn't play with him like that. His head will explode."

"Who was playing?"

"Shego!"

They led Ron out to the Sloth, still mumbling, "Ah, man! I had a choice? Nobody told me!"

As they dropped Ron off he mentioned something about studying with Tara that evening. Shego flinched slightly, but Kim's, "Have fun," sounded sincere. Then Kim turned to Shego, "You're in so much trouble if he saves you again."

Kim had her own studying to do that night. She and about half the cheerleaders sat on the floor of Kim's room, with papers strewn around them and open textbooks as they prepared for a math exam. Shego, a pencil between her teeth, sat at the desk staring at the computer screen.

"Shego," Marcella complained, "we need you."

"Keep your shirt on, I'm working on prom night."

"You're going to prom? Who asked you?"

Shego flushed, "Well, no guy would ask me… And since Kim and I are stuck no guy would ask her 'cause I'd be there. Since I'd screwed it up for Kim I asked if she wanted to go with me. I mean, as long as I'd ruined it for her anyway I might as well blow it all to hell."

"You don't need to apologize," Kim told her. "We'll have fun."

Shego came over to help the group study.

As Kim worked on a problem Bonnie caught Shego's attention. The brunette glanced over at Kim, then back to Shego, and winked. Then Bonnie leaned over and whispered, "Good luck," in the green woman's ear.

As they lay in bed Shego decided not to mention Bonnie's words or actions. "I'm, uh, trying to decide where to take you for dinner before the prom," Shego confessed. "You told me once that Mozart's was the best restaurant in town… Could I take you there, or would that be a bad association for you?"

"You want to take me to the nicest restaurant in town?"

"If you want to. I mean; if that's a problem we can find another place."

"It's expensive."

"I've got plenty of money. Do you want to go there?"

"You're not going to make me order from the children's menu or anything, are you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Never mind… I've always wanted to eat at Mozart's. Thanks."

Kim went with Shego to rent a tux. It proved more complicated than she had imagined.

"Look, Dear," the slim young man at the shop warned her, "you can't just waltz in here and expect to find something on the rack to fit your rack. The guys coming in here don't have your figure. You could look _divine_ with a little extra tailoring and fitting for the hips and boobs. If you go cheap you're going to have the appeal of a sack of potatoes. Spend the extra for alterations and you'll be stunning."

Shego glanced at Kim, "Go for it," the younger woman suggested.

Kim giggled as Shego's measurements were taken. The older woman seemed a little nervous as he measured her inseam, "Don't worry, Sweetie, you don't have anything in there of interest to me," he assured her.

They found a dark green silk shirt for Shego with black-edged ruffles.

Kim stopped for coffee after the tux rental shop. Shego studied the younger woman as she sat across from her and talked about Wade's moon hologram. The redhead seemed happy. Shego wondered if Wade's success with the hologram represented the sole reason for the happiness.

Anne also noticed that Kim seemed happier. She told herself it was strictly the news that the effect had begun to fade slightly which made Kim happy. Or maybe going on missions again made her happy. Perhaps Kim even enjoyed the idea of graduating high school and attending college. Anne could accept any of those reasons for Kim feeling happy. But the incident in the dress store concerned her.

Anne had accompanied Kim in the search for the perfect prom dress. They ordered Shego into the next store at the mall so that they could look at dresses without her. Shego spent the hour and a half staring at a display of men's socks and belts - the items on the wall nearest the dress shop. The problem had been Tara was in the shop looking for a dress when Anne and Kim arrived. Dr. Possible feared a scene. Nothing happened. The two chatted freely, and even offered each other opinions on which dresses were the most flattering. It went too well in Anne's opinion. She hated to admit the fact, but she would rather have seen her daughter try and hit Tara - Kim and Shego's bathroom needed a good scrubbing.

On the Wednesday before prom Kim arrived home to find the usual pile of letters from colleges. Shego headed to the kitchen for a snack. Because of her unusual situation Kim had to apply to more schools than originally anticipated. When Kim reached the kitchen the green woman had two small bowls of chocolate ice cream on the table and had just finished the sugar free caramel topping. "Why in the hell do they make sugar free ice cream topping?" the older woman grumbled. "We'd eat carrots if we wanted something healthy."

Kim worked down the stack of letters as she ate. She had been accepted to a school, but Shego had not. They had both been rejected. Kim accepted, but not Shego. Both accepted, but not a college Kim really wanted to attend. Shego had been accepted, but Kim rejected. "What the heck," Kim muttered and double-checked the school. "I didn't even apply here."

"Aviation school?" Shego asked, licking her spoon clean.

"Yeah."

"Did they accept me?"

"Yes. But not me."

"Got anyplace close that accepted you?"

"Classes on two campuses? No way we could work out a schedule."

"I thought you could do anything."

"Don't push me," Kim threatened in a teasing voice. She opened another letter while Shego stole a spoonful of ice cream from Kim's bowl.

"YES!" Kim shouted and pumped her fist in the air, "I know where we're going."

Shego swallowed quickly, "Where's that?"

"Oberlin College!"

"Oberlin? I repeat, where's that?"

"Ohio."

Shego looked thoughtful, "Their sports teams must not be very good, I've never heard of them."

"I don't think they've got sports teams. They're into something called education. You may have heard of it."

"Well I've never heard of them."

"One of the first colleges to accept women, and African-Americans. Maybe the highest percentage of the kids of college professors in the country. Highest percentage of graduates who go on for advanced degrees."

"Can I cut it there?" Shego wondered.

"You can do it! You're good… Maybe not as good as you think, but you're good."

"Oh yeah, like you're as good as you think."

Kim didn't rise to the bait, she finished reading the acceptance letter, "Hey, you actually helped us get in."

"Huh?"

"They like diversity. I mean, really like it - not just say that. They say they've never had anyone like us apply before." She raised her hand and gave Shego a high-five.

"Then the ray should wear off this summer and they'll kick us out when we show up," Shego suggested. Kim stared in her bowl, she remembered having more ice cream left than the little that remained. The redhead stared at Shego, then back to the ice cream bowl. Shego tried her best to look innocent, but failed badly and only looked more guilty. "Hey, they don't have sports teams?"

"I don't think so."

"Which means they don't have cheerleaders, right?"

"I guess so…"

"Okay, Princess, I can get psyched for this Oberlin place."

In the late afternoon on the day of the prom Shego dressed in the guest room as Kim showered. _"Why am I so nervous,"_ she asked herself as she struggled to get on the tux. She pulled her long hair back in a ponytail, then failed to get the tie straight. After four frustrating minutes she went in search of Anne Possible.

"Stop fidgeting and hold still," Anne warned as she adjusted the tie. "And we need to redo your cummerbund too." The brain surgeon stepped back and looked Shego over. "I bought a corsage for you to give Kim."

"A corsage? Oh, thanks."

"No problem. This night is important to Kim. I want her to be happy… You'll do your best to see she's happy tonight?"

"I... Yes, I promise."

Anne sighed, "I believe you will. Now, about your curfew--"

"Curfew? Please tell me you're kidding!"

"I want the two of you home by noon tomorrow. Is that clear?"

Shego stared open-mouthed at the woman, wondering if she could read minds, wondering if she imagined something that wasn't true, wondering exactly what she meant. She wasn't certain, but it looked like Anne might cry. Shego nodded. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Anne snapped, and wiped her eyes. As Shego stood in a daze Anne walked to the foot to the stairs and called up, "Kim! Are you about ready? Your date's here."

"In a minute, Mom."

Kim swept down the stairs, her green dress echoing the green of her eyes and making the red of her hair snap with the contrast.

"You look beautiful," Shego managed to say.

Kim smiled radiantly. Anne again looked like she wanted to cry. Shego still felt dazed. And James Possible suddenly appeared with a camera. "Pictures. I need pictures of my girls before the prom."

"Kim, I ordered a boutonniere for you to give Shego," Anne told her daughter.

James snapped happily away as Kim pinned the flower on Shego. Then he took more formal shots of the two standing together. Kim smiled, the older woman's arm on her shoulder felt vaguely protective. After that Shego volunteered to take some pictures of Kim with her parents.

"Now remember," James Possible warned them when the picture taking ended, "No boys."

"Yes, Sir. No boys," Shego assured him.

Anne sighed and wished her husband could issue a different warning.

"You have the keys to the Sloth?" Kim asked.

Shego looked puzzled, "Keys to the Sloth?"

"You're wearing the pants on this date. And you have pockets, I don't. You're driving."

"You want me to drive?"

Kim looked exasperated, "Yes! I expect you to drive."

"So, you don't want the limo?"

"Limo? What limo?"

"The one I rented for tonight."

The limo pulled up a few minutes later. The driver opened the door for Kim while Shego went to the other side. Kim laughed as Shego joined her, "This is incredible. Thanks…"

There were only a handful of Middleton high couples at Mozart's. Kim blanched when she saw the prices on the menu. "I'm sorry I said I'd come here, this is too expensive."

"You only get one senior prom, Pumpkin. Mine came six years late. Live a little." Kim tried to find something inexpensive on the menu, and Shego threatened to order a lobster for her if Kim didn't simply find something she wanted.

Shego regained her confidence during dinner, but lost her nerve again as the limo pulled up at Middleton High. "Are you sure this is a good idea? I don't want to hurt your reputation by people seeing you with me."

"People have been seeing us together for months. Everyone knows we're coming, it's not going to be a surprise."

"But--"

"We're going to the prom," Kim told her firmly. "I'm not going to miss this."

Kim took Shego's arm and the two entered the gym.

Shego stared up at the large full moon casting its light on the dancers. "It's impressive," she admitted. "Kinda weird to have the moon inside a building, but impressive."

[Deleted scene will be sent to reviewers.] After a few dances together they moved to the side of the room. Ron gave them a big wave and they joined him and Tara. "Hey, a bunch of us are going to CK's for breakfast after the prom, want to come?" Ron invited. "Then we're going to Turner's Point and watch the sunrise. It's mostly football players and their dates, but you're welcome."

Shego studied Tara, who looked nervous and held Ron's arm in a possessive manner. _"She's jealous of Kim,"_ the green woman thought. _"She should be, Kim's the prettiest woman here."_

Kim didn't seem aware of Tara's behavior as she answered, "I don't think so. Sounds like fun, but Shego and I have other plans."

"Hey, if you change your mind, you're welcome." The band started a song Ron recognized, "We danced to this last year," he reminded Kim and pulled her out onto the dance floor.

Neither Tara nor Shego enjoyed the sound of that, but Shego took the blonde woman by the arm, "C'mon," and led her out.

Tara spent most of her time staring at Kim and Ron. "Jealous much?" the green woman asked.

"He's so wonderful," she sighed. "I can't compete with Kim."

"No, you can't. And don't try. She won't compete with you."

"I don't--"

"You can't play her game, she won't play yours."

"Game?"

"Look, you're good for Ron in ways she isn't. She's good for Ron in ways you're not. Those two have a friendship I can't understand, and nothing is going to change that. Whatever you do, don't make him choose between you. You'll lose."

"But she--"

"You'll lose. They've been best friends a long time. But Ron thinks you're special too. She envies you."

"She does?"

"Really. You really like the guy?"

"He's wonderful," she sighed.

"Keep telling him that, and don't say anything against Kim. That's what he needs."

At the end of the dance Tara thanked Shego. The green woman tried not to let her own jealousy show, but Kim detected it. The doors from the gym onto the concrete deck around the Middleton High athletic facility were open to catch any breeze and Kim dragged Shego out to dance under the stars as another slow tune began.

Kim laid her head on Shego's shoulder as they danced. The older woman's arms tightened around the redhead, holding her close. Their bodies swayed to the music, each half trying to take the lead and half-willing to go wherever her partner led.

Shego's heart was pounding so loudly she feared she'd deafen Kim. "You lied to Ron," she murmured. "You said we had plans."

Kim raised her face to Shego, her lips so close the green woman felt her breath as Kim whispered, "We don't? I thought you did."

"I gotta go," Shego said at the end of the song and dashed for the restroom. The green woman leaned against a sink, trying to stop the trembling._ "Maybe I'm sick," _she optimistically told herself. She couldn't believe it had come to this. Drakken's ray had made her afraid when she wasn't near Kim. Now she was afraid when she was near Kim. She reached into a jacket pocket and pulled out the small plastic bottle of anti-fear drug. Shego stared at the pills, had it really come to this?

_ "Take them and I can tell Kim how I feel… What happens when she shoots me down? Will I get angry and leave? It would hurt her… Would I attack her? I've got to tell her..."_

Kim waited for Shego outside the restroom and led her back outside. They stared at the stars until the next slow number.

"Did you have to take the pills to get the courage to talk to me?" Kim demanded as they danced in each other's arms.

"What pills?"

"I saw you steal them."

"I…"

"Am I that scary?" Shego remained silent. "What do you want to tell me? My mom thinks you want to sleep with me."

"We've been sleeping together for weeks."

"You know what I mean, not sleeping together sleeping together. Is that what you want?" Shego continued silent. "You can't even ask with the no-fear pills?"

"I… I didn't take them. I was afraid I might hurt you by running away."

"The answer is yes."

Shego looked puzzled, "Yes?"

"Yes, I'll go to bed with you."

"Kim, I… What's happening? Are you trying to make my head explode? Trying to hurt Ron? It this some rebound thing? Is this just some prom and moonlight thing? You don't.. I mean, I--"

Kim put a finger on Shego's lips. "Shut up and kiss me."

The kiss was long and tender. "I don't know what's happening," Kim admitted when the kiss ended. "Part of me says this is wrong. But you make me feel special. I need someone to make me feel special. I need someone to need me… Do you need me?"

"I need you, Princess."

"Then, let's do it. I need you, Shego. When the prom is over we'll… What do two women do?"

"We make love."

"I'm scared… Kiss me again."

"I'm scared too," Shego admitted before their lips met.

After the prom their driver left them at the Upperton Hilton.

* * *

Kim woke up first. Shego's arm around her felt far too good. The redhead could see the clock on the nightstand, almost ten-thirty in the morning. She guessed it was a more than a half hour to her house. And they needed to call a cab. They should get moving.

But first Kim tried to figure out what had happened and what it meant. It was wrong. That seemed clear. It felt wonderful. She could not deny that fact. Shego was her enemy… Shego had been her enemy… Shego wasn't her enemy, but what was she? Had Shego simply caught her on the first bounce on the rebound from Ron? They were two women. Two women shouldn't… Shego knew every spot on a woman's body which could make her feel good, some that Kim had not even been aware of… It was wrong. It felt so good. She could not believe how tender Shego had been, how sensitive to Kim's needs. Wrong. All wrong… Shego had treated her like a Princess. Could Shego be playing mind games with her? Was she being fair to Shego? Her mother would be upset...

Her mind a jumbled whirl of uncertainty, a warm tongue tracing its way along her shoulder jolted Kim back to the real world.

"Morning," Shego greeted her.

"Shego… What happened this morning?"

"You want a repeat performance?"

"No, I… What does it mean?"

The green woman sighed, "I'm not sure. I guess it proves the old saying, 'familiarity breeds content'." She turned her lips and tongue loose on Kim's neck.

The younger woman shuddered, "I think," she moaned, "familiarity breeds contempt."

Shego left Kim's neck for a moment, "Not in this case, Pumpkin." The green woman went back of work on Kim's neck.

"Time," Kim gasped, "Need… Get… Home…"

The other woman looked at the clock, "Damn, We-- Take a shower, get dressed. I--"

Kim raised an eyebrow, "Shower together?"

_"I've created a monster."_ "No time. Your Mom will kill me if I don't get you back on time… I'll be grounded from seeing you for a week." They both laughed. "Seriously, Kim, I'm not sure what last night means. I hope it's something good for both of us. We kicked things up a notch--"

"I think we kicked them up five notches."

"Yeah, probably. Pretty hard to say we need to go slow now." Shego paused. "Kim, I… You're… Hell, go take a fast shower before I say something really stupid."

Kim laughed and turned to give Shego a fast kiss, then headed for the shower. After a quick rinse she returned to the room and let Shego shower.

When Shego came out of the shower Kim had donned the prom dress and sat on the bed brushing out her hair.

"Dress or call taxi," Shego muttered.

"Call taxi, tell them to be here in half an hour, then get dressed," Kim suggested.

"Glad one of us is thinking," Shego agreed and found her cell phone.

"Everyone is going to know what we were doing when we leave," Kim pointed out as Shego pulled on the trousers.

"Hey, I'm not ashamed of-- Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to hurt your reputation, I--"

"Don't worry about it," Kim assured her. I just wonder who else we'd see if we hung around the lobby?"

"No idea," Shego muttered. "Have you seen my left shoe?"

"You were wearing it last night."

"Have you seen it this morning?"

Kim shrugged. Shego looked under the bed, in the closet, checked the bathroom, looked under the settee, checked under the bed again. Kim smiled at the sight of Shego crawling around, frantically searching for the missing shoe.

"You could get off the bed and help me," Shego complained.

"I am helping you. I'm staying out of your way."

"Thanks loads," Shego muttered.

"You're welcome," Kim chirped. The redhead wondered how long she should wait before admitting she was sitting on the missing shoe.

--The End--


End file.
